AMPHIBIAN ADAPTATIONS
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BODY PART |
STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION |
REASON |
body |
small waist |
- streamlined body shape for swimming - no movement of head is beneficial during swimming - easier to swim through water; holds prey |
skin |
thin and moist |
- allows for gaseous exchange (cutaneous respiration) - allows for water exchange (osmosis) |
front legs and feet |
short, with 5 toes |
- used to keep the front part of the body off the bottom or ground |
hind legs and feet |
long, powerful, with 5 toes |
- able to jump great distances, and change direction quickly - webbed toes aid in swimming |
colour |
upper body green with many spots |
upper body green with many spots - it conceals the frog in its natural habitat; it also forms a disruptive colour pattern which tends to obscure the shape of the frog light under belly - where there is normally a shadow, it reduces the appearance of solidity or mass when viewed from the side or underneath |
eyes |
positioned on top of head |
positioned on top of head - it gives the frog a wide angled visual field; allows frog to remain in water with only part of head exposed lower eyelid transparent - able to see under water large and bulging - aid in swallowing; - detect movement and velocity of an object |
ears |
a flat disk-like tympanic membrane |
- streamlines the body, prevents water from entering ear canal |
mouth |
very large and broad |
- able to catch and eat large prey |
tongue |
attached at front of mouth |
attached at front of mouth - enables it to be flicked out quickly long and sticky - prey sticks to it when caught |
eggs |
laid in masses |
laid in masses - eggs on the outside protect the eggs on the inside sticky - adhere to plants, so they are not carried away coated in gelatinous covering - protection from mechanical injury, infections and disease, and dehydration; - it conserves heat produced by metabolism of the embryo |