Word Origin & History. moniker 1849, said to be originally a hobo term (but attested in London underclass from 1851), of uncertain origin; perhaps from monk (monks and nuns take new names with their vows, and early 19c. British tramps referred to themselves as in the monkery).
northern American bull frog (female) Frogs, toads, and salamanders belong to a class of animals called Amphibians. They are vertebrates (back-boned animals) with smooth (moist) or warty skins. They lay unshelled eggs, usually in water, and most species have a gilled, swimming larval stage (such as a tadpole).
Salamanders are amphibians which are nocturnal and (unlike the noisy frogs) they are quiet. They have slender bodies, long tails, and front and hind legs that are nearly equal in size. Some salamanders have tails that break off. When a predator grabs it by the tail, the tail just snaps off and continues to wiggle.