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Amphibians

Contrasting colours

stand out like a

warning flag

Sticky fingers

give tree frogs

greater grip

Large, bulging eyes

help tree frog spot

approaching predators

Eardrum

hidden beneath skin

1 CAECILIAN

Most caecilians live in leaf litter

or soil. Because of their secretive

habits, they are rarely seen and

hard to study. Caecilians have

poorly developed eyes and are

also known as blindworms.

HOW DO AMPHIBIANS DEFEND THEMSELVES

AGAINST PREDATORS?

Most amphibians hop or crawl to the safety of the

nearest water when danger threatens. Some also have

glands in their skin which ooze poisonous

or foul-tasting fluids when they are attacked. The

common toad and a few other species confuse

predators by puffing themselves up to look bigger.

CAN AMPHIBIANS BREATHE THROUGH THEIR SKIN?

Yes, they can. Oxygen from the air or water can pass

through the moist skin of amphibians to enter the

blood. Many young amphibians also have feathery

gills to extract oxygen from water, but later lose these

and develop lungs. Some “axolotl” salamanders keep

their gills throughout life.

1 RED-EYED TREE FROG

Frogs and toads are tail-less

and have long hind legs. The

most widespread amphibians,

they are found in many habitats,

including rainforests, woodlands,

mountains, and deserts.

Frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and

the strange, worm-like caecilians are

all amphibians – a group of smallish,

generally moist-skinned vertebrates.

The word amphibian, meaning

“living two lives”, refers to the fact

that most amphibians spend part of

their lives in water and part on land.

WHAT IS A CAECILIAN?

Caecilians are long, slender amphibians found in hot

countries. Almost all live underground, where they

burrow through the soil using their wedge-shaped

heads. Like other amphibians, caecilians are predators

that hunt worms, insects, and other small soil-dwellers.

Most caecilians are legless, but some have tiny limbs.

1 SALAMANDER

Newts and salamanders have long tails and lizard-like bodies. They feed

on slugs, insects, and other small animals. Some species, such as this fire

salamander, have poison glands on their heads.

114 Nature