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Which animals belong to the class Amphibia?

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The class Amphibia consists of approximately 8,100 living species of vertebrate animals. These creatures are categorized into three distinct living orders, all of which belong to the subclass Lissamphibia:

  • Anura: This order includes frogs and toads. They are characterized by their tailless bodies and powerful hind limbs adapted for leaping.12
  • Caudata: This order comprises salamanders and newts. These animals typically possess tails and two pairs of limbs of roughly equal size, though some species exhibit variations such as the loss of hind limbs.12
  • Gymnophiona: This order consists of caecilians. These are limbless, wormlike animals that are highly adapted for a burrowing, fossorial lifestyle.12

While these groups differ significantly in body form, they are united by shared biological traits, such as moist skin used for respiration, a double-channeled hearing system, and specific dental features.1