Page 24 - Amphibian

NO ROAD SENSE
Every year Senses and survival
thousands of
amphibians are
killed on the roads
during their annual
migrations to and Like other animals, amphibians have five basic senses
from their – touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell. But they can also
breeding ponds.
Road signs like this detect ultraviolet and infrared light and the Earth’s
(right) warn magnetic field. Through touch, amphibians can feel
motorists about
migrating frogs temperature and pain, and respond to irritants, such as
and toads.
acids in the environment. As cold-blooded animals with
porous skin, amphibians need to respond quickly to any
external changes. In terrestrial (land-based) species,
a sudden change in temperature can lead to
death by drying out or from freezing by rapid
chilling. An amphibian’s senses can
also help it obtain food, find a mate,
and avoid being eaten.

FEELING THE PRESSURE
Aquatic frogs have a lateral line
sensory system for detecting
Tentacle pressure changes from moving or
MYSTERY SENSE ORGAN stationary objects in the water. The
Caecilians have a small tentacle extending from individual lateral line sense organs,
the eye socket or below each eye. Its function called “plaques,” are easily seen on
is unknown; it may be touch (picking up the head and along the sides
vibrations) or smell (helping to of the body on this African
detect food, predators, or a mate). clawed toad.

Lateral line,
or plaque

Eye of orange striped
newt (below) Lateral
line

Eye of marbled newt (below) TADPOLES
TOO
Lateral line
systems are also
SIGHT AND SMELL found in aquatic
Terrestrial species, like the orange striped newt newts, salamanders,
(top left), need good eyesight to spot slow-moving sirens, and amphibian
prey in poor light, while marbled newts (below left) larvae, like this American
use sight and smell to find food. Like most newts, they bullfrog tadpole. Their
react more strongly to food in water, showing that the position and development
sense of smell is more useful in an aquatic environment. vary in different species.

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