Frogs and Toads
By: Karen Desai, Katie Klimkowski, Chris Murray, and Adam Orozco-Comstock
Frogs and toads are amphibians of the order Anura, making them cold-blooded vertebrates. Frogs and toads are generally insectivorous predators, though some larger species eat prey as large as mice and small birds. As their classification as amphibians implies, most species are typified by the ability to live in water and on land. Their skin is special because it can absorb water for survival, eliminating the need for amphibians to "drink". In addition, because their hearts have only three chambers, they can breathe both from their lungs and their skin. Their small front arms and strong hind legs, which are usually webbed, allow them to swim swiftly underwater and leap with speed cross the land. Frogs are usually found in the tropical regions near water, though frog species currently live on every continent except Antarctica. Frog species have evolved many different adaptations to their environments. For example, some species have sticky pads on their feet for climbing, others hard spurs for burrowing, some have large webbed feet for a flying leap, and small webbed feet for gliding in the water. Today, scientists find uses for frogs (such as Xenoupus laevis) in genetics, even as frogs and toads struggle to cope with the damaging effects of global warming and habitat destruction. (source: http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Themes/frogs/ )
