Frogs are excellent night vision creatures. They can see their front, side, and partially behind them with their bulging eyes. When a frog tries to push food down its throat, its eyes pull down close to the roof of its mouth, to swallow food. Their ballon vocal chord resonates like a megaphone.
Frogs are seen in freshwater bodies except for some that nearly completely live in salt water, like the Florida leopard frog. Animals that live in the water are not referred to as reptiles. That led to the question are frogs reptiles?
Are Frogs Reptiles?
No. frogs are not reptiles, though they share some similarities with reptiles which makes some people confused to be reptiles. Frogs are amphibians which means they live a double life. Before moving to the land, they start their life first in the water.
Amphibians are cold-blooded animals. They depend on the temperature of their environments as they do not have a developed body temperature regulation mechanism. This is a trait amphibians share with reptiles.
Frogs look for heat in open places where they can get sun if they want to increase their body temperature. To reduce their body temperature, they move into water or hide under vegetation.
Why Frogs Are Not Classified As Reptiles?
Frogs cannot be classified as reptiles because they possess more of the characteristics of amphibians.
The amphibians have some specific characteristics, these are:
– Unshelled eggs
Amphibians generally produce unshelled eggs whereas reptiles like birds produce shelled eggs. Frogs produce moist jelly eggs which when exposed to air can easily dry up.
Frogs like some other amphibians deposit their eggs in the water except for the ones that live in the rainforest that deposit their eggs on the leaves of plants. As the tadpoles mature the eggs on the plant leaves will drop into the water.
– Moist permeable skin
Most amphibians are sensitive to heat, especially from the sun as they possess moist permeable skin. To avoid or reduce dehydration they are forced to inhabit aquatic and wet environments.
Frogs such as the waxy monkey frogs are found in arid environments, to cover their body and prevent loss of water, they produce a thick lipid solution.
Are Frogs The Same As Toads?
One might not immediately recognize the desparities between toads and frogs. Despite having a similar appearance, they are two different species. Although both species are amphibians, frogs must have access to water to thrive, whereas toads may go for extended periods of time without it.
Frogs have smooth, slimy skin due to their exposure to wetness, but toads have hard, dry, and lumpy skin. When compared to toads, frogs have a narrower body. The length of the back legs is the most obvious distinction.
Compared to toads, frogs often have longer, stronger hind legs. Frogs are always preferred by predators over toads because of the latter’s harsh flavor and burning odor.
What Are The Differences Between Amphibians And Reptiles?
There are clear differences between amphibians and reptiles. Below is the difference that must know.
– Habitats
Habitats, where these creatures live, are very important to them as they will determine how long they will live. Amphibian’s and reptiles’ relationship with water differentiates them.
Amphibians spend part of their life cycle in water, so they cannot do without water in their habitat. When they want to reproduce, most of them lay their eggs in the water. For instance, frogs at their larva stage as tadpoles live in water. Once they mature they can spend time on land.
While reptiles, though do live close to water bodies and spend time in the water, they do not spend part of their life in water.
– Respiration and skin type
Amphibians and reptiles breathe just like other animals. Amphibian’s and reptiles’ skin functions differ.
Amphibian’s skins are porous. They can actually breathe through their delicate skin, but they are very sensitive to toxins and other pollutants because of the porosity of their skin. Where there is a good quality of water you will see them there.
They also possess lungs through which they can breathe. The nature of their skin limits them to spend most of their life in water as they will dry up in the hot environment.
Reptiles possess scales. Because toxins cannot penetrate scaly skin, they get protected from the same pollutants that affect amphibians. This is why they can survive in the saltwater while amphibians cannot. They have lungs through which they breathe. Moisture can be retained through their scaly skin
– Toxins
To protect themselves from their predators, the amphibians secret toxins from their skin. Reptiles secret toxins from their nail and teeth protection and their hard scale also serve as protection for their skin.
– Egg
Amphibians and reptiles hatch eggs but there’s a little different in their eggs. The eggs of amphibians are jelly-like and translucent. Even after they hatch, the animals that come from them must undergo transformation. A tadpole, for instance, grows into a frog.
While the animals that hatch from reptile eggs are smaller copies of the full-sized animals and have a leathery or brittle coating on them.
What Are The Similarities Between Amphibians And Reptiles?
Amphibians and reptiles, despite their differences, share a few similarities that we should look into briefly.
– Legs and tails
Many, but not all, of them are omnivores or insectivores, which is another resemblance. With the exception of caecilians and legless members of the Pygopodidae family, all reptiles and amphibians have four legs and a tail (except for frogs).
– Ectotherms
Being ectotherms, which means they depend on their surroundings to regulate body temperature, is one of the commonalities between reptiles and amphibians.
– Toxicity
Toxins or poisons are frequently used by reptiles and amphibians as protection against predators. In order to create chemical defenses that ward off infections and predators, the blue poison arrow frog (Oophaga pumilio) in the Amazon sequesters alkaloids from the ants and arthropods in their diet.
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Conclusion
From the above explanations, we could see that frogs, though, may share a few similarities with reptiles, are not reptiles.
Frogs are amphibians that spend the first part of their life in the water and later move to the land.