Amphibians

Amphibians — frogs, salamanders, and the worm-like caecilians — typically begin life in water as gilled larvae, then metamorphose into air-breathing adults. Their permeable skin makes them sensitive barometers of environmental health.

10 guides in this group

Amphibians LC American Bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus The American bullfrog is the largest frog in North America, a sit-and-wait predator that eats anything it can swallow — and one of the world's most damaging invasive amphibians. Read the guide →

Amphibians LC Cane Toad Rhinella marina The cane toad was released in Australia in 1935 to eat beetles and became one of the worst invasive species in the world. Learn why it is toxic, how far it has spread, and what is being done. Read the guide →

Amphibians LC Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra The fire salamander wears black-and-yellow warning colours, squirts a nerve toxin from glands behind its eyes, and in some populations gives birth to live young. Learn about this striking amphibian. Read the guide →

Amphibians LC Glass Frog Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni The glass frog has translucent belly skin that shows its beating heart and gut, and it hides its own blood in its liver to become see-through while it sleeps. Learn how and why. Read the guide →

Amphibians EN Goliath Frog Conraua goliath The goliath frog is the largest frog on Earth, big enough to move rocks its own body weight to build egg nurseries. Learn how it lives in West African waterfalls and why it is Endangered. Read the guide →

Amphibians NT Hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis The hellbender is North America's largest salamander, a flat, wrinkled river-dweller up to 70 cm long that breathes through its skin and needs some of the cleanest water on the continent. Read the guide →

Amphibians VU Olm Proteus anguinus The olm is a blind, cave-dwelling European salamander with pale pink skin, external gills kept for life, and the ability to survive a decade without food. It may live past 100. Read the guide →

Amphibians CR Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum The axolotl is a salamander that never grows up — it keeps its gills and stays underwater for life, and it can regrow lost limbs. Learn why it's beloved in labs and nearly extinct in the wild. Read the guide →

Amphibians EN Poison Dart Frog Phyllobates terribilis Poison dart frogs wear bright warning colours and carry some of nature's most potent toxins — borrowed from their diet. Learn how the poison works and why captive frogs are harmless. Read the guide →

Amphibians LC Red-Eyed Tree Frog Agalychnis callidryas The red-eyed tree frog isn't poisonous — it survives by hiding green all day and flashing shock colours to escape. Learn its startle trick and the eggs that hatch early to dodge snakes. Read the guide →