noun / adjective

amphibian

am-FIB-ee-un/æmˈfɪbiən/

A cold-blooded vertebrate, such as a frog, that typically begins life in water and later lives on land.

The frogs show how an amphibian can use both land and water.

Two naturalistically drawn common frogs at a pond margin: one resting on damp land and one swimming in clear shallow water, making the animal's land-and-water habitats visible together.

Etymology

The pieces evoke a “double life,” referring to existence in water and on land. Once applied broadly to animals at home in both, the name became restricted to the zoological class.

In context

VPM14:26

areas like this are critically important to amphibian populations amphibians begin their life cycle in the aquatic world laying their eggs typically in the water in a pool in a stream

Unusual Species, Such as Beavers, Bobcats, and Woodpeckers, That the Wildlife Center Has to Treat

More examples

Many amphibians need moist places to survive.
The class studies amphibian development in the pond.
The exhibit includes salamanders and other amphibians.

Forms

amphibian · amphibians