Amazing Facts About Amphibians
Amphibians are vertebrates because they have a backbone. But that’s one of only a few traits they share with humans. Amphibians are very odd creatures with some really unusual characteristics. They do
Amazing Facts About Amphibians
Amphibians are vertebrates because they have a backbone. But that’s one of only a few traits they share with humans. Amphibians are very odd creatures with some really unusual characteristics. They do things with their skin and eyes that look like superpowers.
You won’t believe what some amphibians feed their babies and what others do when they lose a limb or an eye. Check out some fascinating facts about one of nature’s smoothest-skinned creatures…
A Frog’s Eyes Helps It Swallow Prey
When a person enjoys a good meal, he or she may close their eyes in appreciation. But when a frog eats, its eyes help it swallow the food. After a frog catches its prey, the eyeballs will retract into its head. This helps to push down the food so the frog can swallow it.
Frogs don’t use their teeth for chewing. Instead, they use their teeth to keep the prey in their mouths. Their tongue is attached at the front of the mouth, so it needs its eyes to help them swallow.
Newts Can Regenerate Their Limbs & Eyeballs
If something happens to their limbs, organs, or tissues (including heart muscle), a newt will simply regrow it. They can even regenerate their eyes, according to the journal Nature. It would be very helpful if humans could do the same thing, yet they cannot.
Researchers have studied the phenomenon and are trying to determine whether this genetic trait is simply latent in all animals. But one thing that sets newts apart from humans is that their haploid genome is 10 times bigger than that of people.
Frogs Have Transparent Eyelids
Unlike humans, the eyelids of a frog’s eyes are transparent. In fact, they have three eyelids (one on the top and one on the bottom, which are transparent) as well as a semi-transparent eyelid. These eyelids help protect the frogs’ eyes when they are underwater and keeps them moist when they’re on land.
The semi-transparent eyelid on the red-eyed tree frog is designed like tiger stripes. This camouflages the frog’s bright red eyes but doesn’t interfere with vision.
Some Newts Secrete A Powerful & Lethal Mucus
In order to protect themselves, newts use their coloring (often green, black, or brown) to hide from predators. Others are bright in color to indicate that they are toxic. They secrete a mucus that is poisonous. In fact, the neurotoxin is so lethal it can stop the signals from your brain that compel your heart to beat.
One study found that a rough-skinned newt has enough poison on its skin to wipe out as many as 25,000 mice. A man who ate a newt on a dare died within hours of consumption.
The World’s Largest Amphibian Is A Salamander That Weighs 140 Pounds
The largest amphibian on the planet is the Chinese Giant Salamander. It’s been around since the Jurassic Period, which was about 170 million years ago. These salamanders can weigh as much as 140 pounds and grow as long as six feet. They live underwater and do not have gills.
Like frogs, they absorb oxygen through their skin. Even though they were once revered by the Chinese, they are currently endangered. Some specimens sell for as much as $1,500 apiece.
Newts Are Carnivores
Newts may be quite cute, but if you get one for a pet be prepared to feed it some of its favorite snacks. And because they’re carnivores, that means they enjoy eating slugs, worms, insects, amphibian eggs, and small invertebrates. And that’s only part of their diet.
When they’re in the water, newts consume tadpoles, shrimp, insect larvae, and mollusks. When a newt is just a baby, it will eat small shrimp and insect larva.
Caecilians Have Many Needle-Like Teeth, And The Babies Eat Their Mother’s Skin
Caecilians live underground, and most people will never come into contact with one. They burrow through the soil using their long, streamlined bodies. They do not have any limbs and range in size from less than three inches to nearly five feet long.
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