Class Amphibia

Animal Kingdom • Biology

Concept Summary

As the name indicates (Greek amphi: dual, bios: life), amphibians can live in aquatic as well as terrestrial habitats. Most of them have two pairs of limbs. The body is divisible into head and trunk, and a tail may be present in some. The amphibian skin is moist and without scales. The eyes have eyelids. A tympanum represents the ear. The alimentary canal, urinary and reproductive tracts open into a common chamber called the cloaca, which opens to the exterior. Respiration is by gills, lungs and through the skin. The heart is three-chambered, with two auricles and one ventricle. These are cold-blooded animals. Sexes are separate. Fertilisation is external. They are oviparous and development is indirect. Examples include Bufo (toad), Rana (frog), Hyla (tree frog), Salamandra (salamander) and Ichthyophis (limbless amphibia). Amphibians belong to super class Tetrapoda because they bear limbs. The points most often tested are the moist scaleless skin, the common cloaca, the three-chambered heart with two auricles and one ventricle, external fertilisation and indirect development with a larval stage, and the existence of limbless forms such as Ichthyophis, which shows that not all members have two pairs of limbs.

Key Notes
  • Live in aquatic as well as terrestrial habitats (Gr. amphi: dual, bios: life).
  • Most have two pairs of limbs; body divided into head and trunk; tail in some.
  • Skin moist, without scales; eyes have eyelids.
  • Tympanum represents the ear.
  • Cloaca: common chamber for alimentary, urinary and reproductive tracts.
  • Respiration by gills, lungs and skin.
  • Three-chambered heart (two auricles, one ventricle); cold-blooded.
  • Sexes separate; external fertilisation; oviparous; indirect development.
  • Examples: Bufo, Rana, Hyla, Salamandra, Ichthyophis.
Important Equations

Heart

\[ \text{Three-chambered} = 2\ \text{auricles} + 1\ \text{ventricle} \]

Cloaca

\[ \text{Alimentary canal} + \text{Urinary tract} + \text{Reproductive tract} \rightarrow \text{Cloaca} \]
Flow Chart
Aquatic and terrestrial; moist scaleless skin
Mind Map
  • Class Amphibia
    • General
      • Aquatic and terrestrial
      • Cold-blooded
      • Two pairs of limbs in most
    • Structure
      • Moist skin without scales
      • Eyelids
      • Tympanum
      • Cloaca
    • Physiology and reproduction
      • Gills, lungs, skin
      • Three-chambered heart
      • External fertilisation
      • Indirect development
    • Examples
      • Bufo (toad)
      • Rana (frog)
      • Hyla (tree frog)
      • Salamandra
      • Ichthyophis (limbless)
Graphic Organiser
Feature Amphibia Reptilia
SkinMoist, without scalesDry, cornified, with epidermal scales or scutes
EarTympanum represents earNo external ear openings; tympanum represents ear
HeartThree-chamberedUsually three-chambered; four in crocodiles
FertilisationExternalInternal
DevelopmentIndirectDirect
ExamplesRana, Bufo, HylaChelone, Crocodilus, Naja