The word amphibian means "double life." Most amphibians start life in the water and live on land when they grow up. Frogs, toads and salamanders are amphibians.
Key idea
Amphibians have smooth, moist skin with no scales. Most start life in water with gills and live on land as adults.
Why it works
A frog's thin skin must stay damp, so amphibians live near water or in shady, wet places. A young frog, the tadpole, breathes with gills in the pond. As it grows, it starts breathing air.
Worked example: Let's think it through
A salamander has four legs and a long tail, like a lizard. Is it a lizard?
- Feel its skin (with your eyes!): it is smooth and moist.
- It has no scales.
- Lizards have dry scales. Moist skin means amphibian.
Answer: No. A salamander is an amphibian.
Common mistake
Children often think a salamander is a lizard because of its shape. Look at the skin. Moist and smooth: amphibian. Dry and scaly: reptile.
For the grown-up. Salamanders often hide under logs and rocks in damp woods. If you lift a log to look, do it gently, keep your hands off the animal, and put the log back the way it was.