Amphibians

Amphibians are a class of animal, like birds and reptiles. They are very fascinating. Amphibians can live on land or water. They are vertebrates. This means they have a backbone. Frogs, newts, and salamanders are all amphibians. There are 7,400 species of amphibians in the world. Amphibians can live almost anywhere. They live in rainforests, rivers and streams, even in deserts. They are important animals for the environment. They are food for many predators. They are cold-blooded animals. Amphibians cannot control their body temperature. They use the land and water around them to control it. This means sitting on a warm rock or swimming in a cold river. They are the same as reptiles in that fact. However, amphibians do not lay their eggs on land. Female amphibians lay their eggs in water. The eggs have a softshell. Baby amphibians are called tadpoles. Tadpoles have gills like fish. As they grow, they develop lungs. They can also breathe and drink through their skin as adults. Most amphibians eat insects, worms, slugs, or snails. Amphibians are very interesting animals.