Amphibians Breathe With Lungs

Most amphibians breathe through lungs and their skin.

Amphibians breathe with lungs. One example of an amphibian is a frog. Early in life amphibians have gills for breathing. In addition to their lungs amphibians can actually breathe through their skin.

The lungs of amphibians are simple saclike structures that internally lack the complex spongy appearance of the lungs of birds and mammals. The other means of breathing for amphibians is diffusion across the skin. Their skin has to stay wet in order for them to absorb oxygen so they secrete mucous to keep their skin moist if they get too dry they cannot breathe and will die.

They breathe through gills while they are tadpoles. Ventilation is accomplished by buccal pumping. Adult amphibians either have lungs or continue to breathe through their skinAmphibians have three ways of breathing.

Amphibians breathe with lungs. Most start life with gills but later develop lungs for breathing. Tadpoles are frog larvae.

Birds face a unique challenge with respect to breathing. During and after activity a toad often supplements its supply of oxygen by actively breathing air into its lungs. While oxygen is plentiful in the air 200000 parts per million it is considerably less accessible in water 15 parts per million in cool flowing water.

The amphibian tadpole resembles a fish. The reptiles lung has a much greater surface area for the exchange of gases than the lungs of amphibians. As amphibian larvae develop the gills and in frogs the tail fin degenerate paired lungs develop and the metamorphosing larvae begin making excursions to the water surface to take air breaths.