AMPHIBIANS    

The amphibians scientific name is Amphibia. Amphibians are small vertebrates that need water to stay moist and survive. Amphibians include frogs, salamanders and newts.  All of them have the power to breathe or absorb water through their thin skin. Amphibians can also have special skin glands to produce useful proteins.  They can transport water, oxygen and carbon dioxide, they can fight bacterial or fungal infections or even be used for defence! Most toxic amphibians are brightly coloured to warn predators to back off.  Another special feature of amphibians is their interesting life-cycle. They start of as free swimming larvae called tadpoles. Then when they reach a certain size they grow limbs and lungs and some lose their tails. Then they climb out of the water and live the rest of their live on land. This process is known as metamorphosis. Amphibians are cold-blooded and because of their special skin they need precise living conditions. Too much sun will damage their cells, too much wind will dry their skin and dehydrate them. The result is that amphibians are the first to die when their habitats are disturbed or contaminated. This is the main reason that over half of all frog species are facing extinction.