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Which three living orders make up the amphibians?
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amphibian
Banded fire salamander (Salamandra terrestris).
The class Amphibia is comprised of three living orders, which together form the subclass Lissamphibia:
- Anura: This order includes frogs and toads. They are characterized by their tailless bodies and powerful hind limbs adapted for leaping.1
- Caudata: This order consists of salamanders and newts. These animals typically possess tails and two pairs of limbs of roughly equal size.12
- Gymnophiona: This order comprises the caecilians, which are limbless, wormlike amphibians highly adapted for a burrowing lifestyle.1
While these three groups exhibit significant differences in body form, they are believed to share a common evolutionary origin.1