AMPHIBIANS

-the word AMPHIBIA derive from the Greek word AMPHI means on both sides and bios meaning life - they are animals that can live in both water and land. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Can breathe in both land and water. They are cold blooded. Have lungs instead of gills. Have legs instead of fins Have soft, moist slimy skin. PARTS: Skin-permeable to water -contains mucous glands that keep the skin from drying out. -most of them contain poisonous glands as defense system. Chromatophores -a pigment that produce a color to an amphibians skin. Melanophores -defense layer of the skin Guanophores -the most intermediate layer, contain the blue-green layer. Lipophores -the most superficial layer, color yellow. Skeletal system -Bones of amphibians are hallow and lightweight -Amphibians have cranium, spine, rib cage humerus and femur as long bone and phalenges metacarpals and metatarsals as short bones. Circulatory and respiratory system. -they have heart consist of two ventricle and 2 atria. -they have juvenine and adult stage. Juvenine stage -young ones breath through gills like fish Adult stage -stage of losing their gills and the development of their lungs. Digestive system -amphibians swallow their prey whole. -chewing is done in oral cavity. MODE OF LOCOMOTION -Since amphibians may have four legs, two legs, or no legs at all, and they may spend most of their time on the ground, in the water, or in trees, -they move in many different ways - Some walk or run; some hop or leap; some swim; some burrow; and some even glide through the air. MODE OF REPRODUCTION -for the purpose for reproduction ,most amphibians require freshwater. a few can inhabit fresh water. - In all three groups of amphibians, mating involves both males and females. - The females produce the eggs, and the males make a fluid that contains microscopic cells called sperm. - An egg will only develop into a baby amphibian if it mixes with sperm. This mixing is called fertilization. - In almost all frogs, the male climbs onto the back of the female, and as she lays her eggs, he releases his fluid so that the eggs are fertilized outside. FOOD OR NUTRITION -Many amphibians eat meat or are carnivorous. For most of them, their meals are insects, spiders, and other invertebrates, which are animals without backbones. - Often, larger species will eat larger prey. Most caecilians eat earthworms, termites, and other invertebrates that live underground. Phylum -they are classified in the phylum-chordata

Subphylum vertebrata, class amphibia, order- caudata.

USES OF AMPHIBIANS-amphibians are collected and raised for a variety of uses including for pets, for medicine, for modern study, education and especially as pets. HARMFUL EFFECTS OR DISADVANTAGES.-all amphibians have poisonous glands that contains toxic that can affect humans

Name: pacific giant salamander The family includes only a single genus, Dicamptodon. The genus was formerly thought to contain two speciesWhile most salamanders are silent, the Pacific giant salamander is one of several salamanders that have vocal abilities. When startled, the salamander may respond with a croaky sounding cry similar to that of a barking dog. Members of this family can either be terrestrial or aquatic when adults.