Video:Overview of the Amphibians Group

Transcript:Overview of the Amphibians Group

Hi, I'm Jen D'Amore for About.com, and this video is all about the Amphibian class.

What are Amphibians?

Amphibians are cold blooded tetrapods that usually reproduce in fresh water and are non-amniotes, meaning their eggs are not surrounded by several membranes.

As cold-blooded creatures they cannot regulate their own body temperature and rely on the external environment to warm them. If they are too cold, they are immobile.

As tetrapods, they have 4 limbs. Tetra meaning 4 and pod meaning limbs. The length of these can vary as some have 4 equal sized limbs and some, have shorter front? limbs, as is the case with a frog.

Amphibian's Biological Classification

Looking at biological classification, Amphibia is a Class in the Kingdom of Animalia, with the Orders of Anura, Cuadata, and Gymnophiona. While they share much in common, being classified as amphibians, each order is unique in it's own way.  

Frogs and toads are part of the Anura, or "tailless" order. Salamanders and newts are examples of the Caudata. And Gymnophiona are wormlike, limbless creatures that can be found in the tropics.

Other traits of amphibians: most go through a metamorphosis. For example, frogs transforming from tadpoles with (description of tadpoles) to frogs that (description of difference).

Adult amphibians are predators that feed on live invertebrates. They swallow their prey whole for the most part, and they have soft bodies that are not well protected. To make up for that vulnerability, some are camouflage so they can blend in with their surroundings, and some have poisonous brightly colored skin to warn predators to stay away.

And finally, if we look at the root of amphibian, amphi means both, and bio means life, in this case referring to the fact that amphibians can live both on land and in water.

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