Whats the Difference Between Reptiles and Amphibians?
Did you know there are only four kinds of amphibians and five kinds of reptiles? Frogs, toads, salamanders and newts are amphibians. Snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises, crocodiles and alligators, and the tuatara are reptiles. Amphibians and reptiles have three-chambered hearts, breathe air, and are cold-blooded. So, what’s the difference between them, you ask? To start with, only amphibians are slimy! Amphibians generally have moist, scale-less skins. They live part of their lives on water and part on land, and all amphibians must lay their jelly-like eggs in water. Some amphibians, like frogs, metamorphosize as they grow from larva to adulthood. Reptiles have dry, scaly skins. (The scales help prevent water loss from their bodies.) Fertilization occurs within the reptile’s body and most lay leathery-shelled eggs on land. Reptiles do not undergo a metamorphosis.
