North Carolina Amphibians

What Are Amphibians?

Amphibians are a group of animals that live both in water and on land. They include frogs, toads, and salamanders.

Amphibians have smooth, moist skin that helps them breathe, especially when they are in water. They are cold-blooded, which means their body temperature changes depending on the environment. Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their surroundings, so scientists often study them to learn about the health of the environment.

Most amphibians are born in water and start their lives as larvae.

Frog and toad larvae are called “tadpoles” or “pollywogs”. Salamander larvae are called “efts”. Both tadpoles and efts look completely different from adult frogs, toads, and salamanders.

Frog and toad tadpoles live underwater. They have tails, and breathe through gills. As they grow, they go through a change called “metamorphosis”. During this change, they grow legs, webbed feet, and lungs and lose their gills. Once they assume their adult forms, they still live in water but must surface to breathe air. They still swim very well but also hop and jump around on land.

Salamanders are typically nocturnal and very secretive, so are harder to spot in the wild than frogs and toads. In some stages of life, they have slender bodies, long tails, and two pairs of legs so are often mistaken for lizards. Different salamander species have different life cycles; some are fully aquatic throughout their lives while others live in the water and on land at different times. Salamanders also undergo metamorphosis, but their appearance during any given life stage varies both depending on the species, and more than that of frogs and toads.