amphibian: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026

News •

Researchers discover why some frogs have escaped the current amphibian mass extinction • Oct. 27, 2026, 9:20 PM ET (Phys.org)

Facts

Also Known As	Amphibia

Photos and Videos

banded fire salamander (Salamandra terrestris)

Green frog, Lithobates clamitans, perched on a log above water in a wetland or pond at Tyler State Park, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

olympic torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton olympicus)

An Amazon leaf frog, Cruziohyla craspedopus, with bright yellow and blue mottled skin, clings to a vertical vine in the rainforest of Ecuador.

Diagram showing the life cycle of the European common frog, from fertilized egg and hatching embryo to early and late tadpole stages with gills and limb development, ending with a fully formed adult frog.

Illustration showing two types of salamander larvae: the mountain-brook type, represented by the California giant salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus) with a slender, streamlined body, and the pond type, represented by the Northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) with a broader body and external gills.

Illustration of five representative urodeles, including ambystoma (Ambystoma tigrinum), salamander (Salamandra salamandra), amphiuma (Amphiuma means), siren (Siren lacertina), and hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), each labeled with their scientific names.

Illustration of a bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) showing a large, greenish-brown amphibian with mottled markings, prominent eyes, and long, powerful legs.

Illustration showing four representative amphibians: a blue, worm-like South American caecilian (Siphonops annulatus), a brown Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa), a gray and black speckled Dakota toad (Bufo hemiophrys), and a slender large-blotched salamander (Ensatina eschscholtzii) with yellow markings.

Male tungara frog (Physalaemus pustulosus) with its throat sac inflated as it calls.

Follow an amphibian's life cycle from an underwater egg to a land-roving organism

A red salamander with small black dots on the front half of its body is perched on a wet rock against a black background.

How hibernating frogs survive in freezing temperatures

See toads engage in amphibious amplexus and witness metamorphosis of tadpoles into toads

Examine how a leopard frog's protruding independent eyes help it catch flies, earthworms, and other prey

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Topics

lissamphibian Temnospondyli lepospondyl Gymnophiona salamander frog toad labyrinthodont froth nest amphibian chytridiomycosis reptile fish insect Bird mammal chondrichthyan crustacean mollusk arachnid agnathan

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