Heather Hills age 7, of Port Perry

What is an amphibian?

An amphibian is at home both in the water and on the land. Certain plants are amphibians. Part of a water lily plant lives under water. The green leaf pads sit in the sunshine on the surface. Certain waterweeds have special leaves for life below the water and others for life in the air above.

There are some fascinating amphibians in the animal kingdom. They are members of the family called Amphibia. All of them are cold‑blooded, backboned animals. All of them live part, or some stage of their lives in the water. All of them are land dwellers, at least for a part of their lives. The frogs, toads and salamanders are amphibians. Frogs and toads begin life as fishes. During the tadpole stage they use gills to breathe oxygen from the water. Later, they exchange their gills for lungs and breathe air.