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The numbers of species cited above follows Frost and the total number of known (living) amphibian species as of March 31, 2019, is exactly 8,000, [11] of which nearly 90% are frogs. [ 12 ] With the phylogenetic classification, the taxon Labyrinthodontia has been discarded as it is a polyparaphyletic group without unique defining features apart ...
Thus amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. A list of amphibians organizes the class of amphibian by family and subfamilies and mentions the number of species in each of them.
All extant (living) amphibians belong to the monophyletic subclass Lissamphibia, with three living orders: Anura , Urodela (salamanders), and Gymnophiona . Evolved to be mostly semiaquatic , amphibians have adapted to inhabit a wide variety of habitats , with most species living in freshwater , wetland or terrestrial ecosystems (such as ...
The largest living amphibian is the 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) South China giant salamander (Andrias sligoi), but this is dwarfed by prehistoric temnospondyls such as Mastodonsaurus which could reach up to 6 m (20 ft) in length. The study of amphibians is called batrachology, while the study of both reptiles and amphibians is called herpetology.
Amphibians are in decline worldwide, with 2 out of every 5 species threatened by extinction, according to a paper published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature.
A few species deposit eggs on land or bypass the tadpole stage. Adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist and a few feed on plant matter. Frog skin has a rich microbiome which is important to their health. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass.
Some amphibians such as newts and salamanders, and some frogs such as fire-bellied toads and wood frogs. Some reptiles such as crocodilians, turtles, water snakes and marine iguanas. Waterbirds, especially penguins, waterfowls, storks and shorebirds. Some rodents such as beavers, muskrats and capybaras.
Linnaeus, working from species-poor Sweden, where the common adder and grass snake are often found hunting in water, included all reptiles and amphibians in class "III – Amphibia" in his Systema Naturæ. [8] The terms reptile and amphibian were largely interchangeable, reptile (from Latin repere, 'to creep') being preferred by the French. [9]