Page 311 - Microsoft Word - LessonPlan-Overview.doc
P. 311
Unit 18: Biology Part 1 Page 26 of 60
changes. Their gills are replaced Salamanders are unique in both
with another respiratory organ, like their respiration and feeding.
lungs, allowing them to breathe on Some salamanders have lungs and
land. Their skin also undergoes a breathe in a way similar to
change to keep them from losing mammals. Others keep their gills
water and becoming dehydrated. into adulthood, and remain in the
They develop eyelids to more water, breathing through their
effectively see in a terrestrial gills. Still others have neither gills
environment. Finally, an eardrum nor lungs, and breathe through
develops separating the exterior valerian respiration in which air
from the middle ear. is passed through the skin. In
About 500 amphibian species are terms of hunting, a muscle called
salamanders. These animals are the hyoid muscle shoots out, along
generally characterized by tails, with the tongue. The tongue of the
short legs, and moist skin. The salamander is covered in mucus,
moist skin of the salamander and prey is captured in this sticky
requires them to live in or near mucus. Salamanders are also the
water more than many other only vertebrate that can
amphibians. In fact, some regenerate lost limbs.
salamanders live their whole lives Frogs and toads are members of
in water. Others live outside water the same order, which is a group
in the adult stage, but stay in of similar living things in the same
swamps, where the ground is class. People sometimes
moist, and will not dehydrate their distinguish frogs and toads based
skin. on the fact that toads usually live
in drier environments, and have
leathery skin to help them in this
environment.
However, there is really very little
difference between animals
referred to as “frogs” and “toads”
in this reading, other than the fact
that toads do not have any teeth
The Eastern Mud Salamander is and must swallow their food whole.
found throughout eastern North To make things simpler in this
America. reading, we will just call this group
of animals “frogs.”
© 2011 Supercharged Science www.ScienceLearningSpace.com
713
