Amphibians, Names of Common Amphibians, Types of Amphibians & Reptiles

Nearly all amphibians live the first part of their lives in water and the second part on land—a double life reflected in the name amphibian, which comes from the Greek words amphi, meaning “both,” and bios, meaning “life.” Amphibians were the first animals with backbones to adapt to life on land.
Amphibians live in many environments, including grasslands, rain forests, conifer forests, alpine areas, and even deserts, although most species require freshwater habitats such as ponds, swamps, streams, or other wet environments for breeding.
Most adult amphibians retain their teeth, but in some species, teeth are reduced in size or not present at all.
Amphibians (from Greek αμφις "both" and βιος "life") are ectotherms, and generally spend part of their time on land, but most do not have the adaptations to an entirely terrestrial existence found in most other modern tetrapods (amniotes).
Amphibians developed with the characteristics of pharyngeal slits/gills, a dorsal nerve cord, a notochord, and a post-anal tail at different stages of their life.
Dramatic declines in amphibian populations, including population crashes and mass localized extinction, have been noted in the past two decades from locations all over the world, and amphibian declines are thus perceived as one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity.
Amphibians are found in a variety of colors, from drab browns and grays to shocking reds and blues.
Amphibians, and reptiles for that matter, are known to display a wide variety of color defects and abnormalities, such as leucism, melanism, and xanthism, which result in some rather remarkable phenotypes.
Amphibians use body positioning to utilize such micro-habitats, basically positioning their bodies on surfaces in manners to either expose more of the body to the surface, or less.
Amphibians -- frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians -- are vital members of a delicate ecosystem as well as important environmental indicators and contributors to human health and wellness.

AMPHIBIANS