Amphibians or amphibians - are animals that live in water and on land, they are known about five thousand species. These include frogs, newts and salamanders, there is a little — known species of amphibians-legless worms. Amphibians lay eggs in water, such as a pond or stream. They can't live in salt water, so they're not in the seas. Newts and salamanders, unlike frogs, do not lose their tails when they grow up. Newts more than other amphibians are tied to water, it is almost entirely aquatic animals.
Worms
Worms — the least known amphibians, there are only 100 species, while frogs-6000, newts and salamanders — about 500 species.
Can live in water as well as on the surface of the earth, but mostly live underground, so they have no eyes. Hearing is also bad, but very good sense of smell.
Worms are mostly dark in color, but there are a small number of yellow and blue amphibians of this species.
They live in the tropics in a humid environment. They eat earthworms and shellfish.
Young worms are born alive or hatch from eggs.
Tritons
Newts are often confused with lizards. But lizards belong to the reptiles, the tritons-amphibians.
Newts live in areas with a temperate climate, in winter they hide under branches and stones, crawl into holes (at a distance of about 50 meters from the pond) and hibernate.
On the territory of the CIS there are three species of newts — Asia minor, comb and common. The comb is considered the most beautiful — it has a small ridge that the belly is yellow or orange.
Newts are quite defenseless animals, so they need to be inventive to protect their offspring. Female newt hides eggs in natural caches in the pond, and if there are no caches, then wraps the eggs in the leaves of plants that grow in the water.
Newts can be seen quite rarely, but if there is a pond that is suitable for them to live, for example, a large and deep puddle with clean water, they can gather in one place a few dozen individuals.
Newts can regrow a lost body part. They can freeze into the ice in the winter, but in the spring they freeze and continue their normal existence. In the heat without water, newts can dry completely, but after rain they quickly recover.
Salamanders
On the territory of Ukraine the fire Salamander is widespread. According to one version, the name she received for the fact that hiding under the trees and when they are used to make a fire, forced to quickly run away from the heat. But it is also possible that this name was given to them for bright spots on the skin or through the fact that special glands near the eyes secrete a poison that can cause a burning sensation in humans if it gets on the mucous membrane.
Salamanders like a warmer climate than newts. They do not hibernate in winter. But probably in such a cold climate as the Ukrainian Carpathians, where they are found, in the cold they move a little. In cold times, they huddle in groups of several tens or hundreds of individuals under the roots of trees and a thick layer of fallen leaves.
The largest animal of amphibians-giant Salamander, it reaches a length of two meters, weighing up to seventy kilograms. It lives in the waters of Eastern China.
Salamanders in the past were considered very poisonous. They actually have venom glands behind their eyes that secrete a small amount of scalding liquid. It's a neurotoxin poison that can cause paralysis, arrhythmia, and seizures in an animal that tries to eat it. Despite this on it get perishing, predatory fish, wild boars, birds. For a man salamanders not too nebezpecnych, but in contact with the mucous membrane of the poison can cause a burning sensation, in addition, possible allergic reactions. So it is better not to risk and in hands not to take.
Salamanders usually eat insects, but can also eat small frogs and newts.
Despite the fact that the Salamander-amphibious animal, it swims badly, can even drown in deep water. Reservoirs are used only for the deposition of eggs.
Frogs
Interesting facts about amphibians-frogs. Frogs sometimes have growths that people mistakenly call warts, but still this incorrect name stuck. Among the toads there are poisonous species, and the poison is covered with leather, obviously, to an animal no one ate.
In the forests of the Amazon live very poisonous frogs-berevolusi. They have a bright color, which is a warning to predators that they are not food, but a dangerous poison. The Indians smeared their arrows with this deadly poison, scraping it off their skin. The record for venom lives in Colombia-one leaf frog poison called ukoki enough to handle 50 arrows.
In rainforests, tree-dwelling frogs can live outside water bodies, but still settle in places with high moisture. This is due to the fact that they breathe not only the lungs, but also the skin, which for normal functioning of the respiratory function must be moistened.
With the help rear paws frogs can well punch, this them helps move freely, and also to run away from predators — through a moment, this pet can jump off with high Bank in body of water and prove beyond reach.
Fry emerge from the eggs, similar to fish, because they have a long tail. When they grow up, the tail disappears.
The largest individuals belong to the species Goliath. They are in length from the tip of the outstretched paws until the tip of the nose reach length almost in meter (this the most large individual, usually they on 20 — 30 centimeters less), mass — until three kilograms. The smallest is found in Brazil, it is less than one centimeter in length.
Tree frogs can't hide in the water at the onset of danger. Therefore, they are masked-the color of the skin often corresponds to the color of the surrounding leaves. In South America, there is a triangular tree frog whose skin color is similar to the bark of a tree, making it invisible on the trunk of a tree.
In case of danger, one of the species of frogs can fly a little through the air — there are webs on the legs, which have a sufficient area with open legs for a successful glider flight from a tree.
Lives in Chile, Darwin's frog, the male of which carries in his mouth the eggs until the tadpoles are born small.
There is a barking tree frog that makes sounds that are similar to barking. Similar sound effects are created with bags on the head that inflate so much that the size of the animal doubles.
A bullfrog lives in South America. It feeds on fish, shellfish, sometimes even Chicks. The name comes from the fact that it makes sounds similar to the lowing of a bull. These birds reach a length of 20 centimeters, weight — up to 700 grams.
The screaming frog living in North America is so oriented in space that it gets to the place of its residence even if it is brought a short distance from home (but in a completely unfamiliar area).
In southern Suriname there is a blue woodcutter that glows in the bright light like phosphorus. The leather is a beautiful dark sapphire blue secretes a poison that is dangerous to predators and to humans.