In the 2012 President's Budget Request, the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) is terminated. As a result, all resources, databases, tools, and applications within this web site will be removed on January 15, 2012. For more information, please refer to the NBII Program Termination page.
Kingdom: Animalia
Division: Chordata
Subdivision: Vertebrata
Class: Amphibia
NBII Amphibians Site
For more information about Amphibians nationwide, visit the NBII Amphibians Web site. There you can find further Web resources on amphibians and the diverse factors affecting amphibian populations globally.
What are Amphibians?
Amphibians of the southeastern U.S. are vertebrates of the taxonomic class Amphibia including animals such as Frogs and Toads (order Anura), Salamanders (order Caudata), and Caecilians (order Gymnophiona). Thought of as cold-blooded, amphibians are ectotherms, meaning they are unable to regulate their own body temperature independently of the temperature of their surroundings. Amphibians are generally small with thin skin permeable to air and water. With few exceptions, amphibians do not actively care for their young. In general, amphibian reproduction strategy consists of egg-laying and external fertilization of a large number of eggs in a moist or fully aquatic environment. Fertilized eggs develop into amphibian larvae that live part of their lives dependent on an aquatic environment requiring gills and specialized feeding habits. Following a pattern of development unique to amphibians, amphibian larvae undergo marked changes and metamorphose into a terrestrial form that lives on land. Typically, this metamorphosis is demonstrated by loss of gills, changes in overall appearance, and changes in diet. In the southeastern United States, amphibians are represented by several taxonomic families within the two orders below.
Ecological Importance of Amphibians
Amphibians live in diverse habitats, often in large numbers, and play several important ecological roles. As consumers, amphibians help regulate populations of the organisms they consume, chiefly invertebrates. As prey items, amphibians are consumed by a variety of larger predators such as reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, predatory invertebrates, and other amphibians. When consumed by larger predators, amphibians transfer the energy and nutrients from amphibian prey items such as small invertebrates to larger predators.
For details with references from the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab about amphibians in the Southeast, click "more..." below.