How do amphibians differ from reptiles?
Reptiles and amphibians have many differences, but seem to always get grouped together. Both are ectotherms, meaning they are cold blooded. Cold blooded does not mean they like the cold, but that their temperature and metabolism are based on the temperature of their environment. If the weather is cool, the animal is cool; if the weather is warm the animal is warm. Amphibians have a metamorphosis in their life cycle. They begin as eggs, become a creature that lives in water and then later, they come out of the water. They are ectothermic or cold blooded as are reptiles. For the most part, amphibians have rubbery slick skin that needs to stay moist. They do not have scales like reptiles. Excessive handling of amphibians can put their lives in danger because they absorb chemicals through their skin. If you must handle an amphibian you should do so with clean, moist hands. Amphibians eat protein, mainly invetebrates, although some frogs will eat other frogs. Male frogs and toads can extend
A salamander and a small lizard could be mistaken for first cousins but the little fellows are not even remotely related. They are cold blooded, backboned animals that share many other features, but the differences between them outweigh: their likenesses. The differences between amphibians and reptiles are recorded in family trees that date back at least 200 million years. At about this time, their sea dwelling ancestors left their watery homes and tried to make a go of living on dry land. The amphibians were the first backboned animals to venture forth from their ancient seas. This bold adventure may have occurred 250 million years ago. The reptiles arrived later, about 50 million years later. Most sea dwellers have gills for taking their oxygen from the water. When they become land dwellers, they must exchange their gills for air breathing lungs. Both amphibians and reptiles managed to perform this miracle, but the reptiles did it better. Most sea dwellers lay their eggs in the water
