Amphibians

Find out everything there is to know about amphibians and stay updated on the latest amphibian news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and amphibian pictures at LiveScience.com. Learn more about these fascinating creatures as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about amphibians.

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A hellbender salamander sitting on a rock.

Hellbender salamander dads are cannibalizing their young, and deforestation may be to blame

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Deforestation is forcing hellbender salamander dads to eat their young.

A frog clings to a tree branch.

Otherworldly 'Lord of the Rings' frog discovered in the mountains of Ecuador

By Sascha Pare published

A previously unknown frog species was discovered in Ecuador and named after fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien.

A woman holds a 6-pound cane toad found in a national park.

'Monster cane toad' dubbed 'Toadzilla' found in Australia

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Rangers in Australia stumbled upon a giant cane toad resembling a "football with legs"

A group of glassfrogs sleeping together upside down on a leaf, showing their leaf camouflage in transmitted (downwelling) light.

Transparent glassfrogs 'vanish' at night by hiding red blood cells in liver

By Joshua A. Krisch published

Glassfrogs can render themselves nearly invisible while they sleep with a unique trick; they pack nearly 90% of their red blood into one of their organs.

A colored gradient of frogs, from black to green.

Chernobyl radiation set off black frog surge while green frogs 'croaked.' Evolution explains why.

By Jennifer Nalewicki last updated

Chernobyl frogs' evolution shows how they have adapted to live with higher radiation by turning black.

The chocolate frog has been hiding in the crocodile-infested swamps of New Guinea, evading detection until now.

Adorable 'chocolate frog' discovered in crocodile-infested swamp

By Brandon Specktor last updated

Scientists cataloging tree frogs in New Guinea stumbled across a never-before-seen 'chocolate frog' with brown skin and adorable eyes.

A photo of a Javan tree frog on a log with its mouth open.

Frogs: The largest group of amphibians

By Patrick Pester published

Frogs and toads make up the largest and most diverse group of amphibians. The group includes thousands of species around the world, but many face extinction.

A black and a pink axolotl snuggling up together in their aquarium.

Axolotls: The adorable, giant salamanders of Mexico

By Jeremy Rehm last updated

Reference Starring in mythological origin tales, axolotls are threatened salamanders that may hold the key to regenerating body parts in mammals.

Reference
Lime-green Hyalinobatrachium nouns was named for the Nouns decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), a group that uses cryptocurrency to buy and sell non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Crypto organization names newfound glass frog species — here’s why that's concerning

By Stephanie Pappas published

A new species of glass frog has been named by a cryptocurrency organization, triggering concern over the high environmental cost of crypto.

This red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) has special toe pads for climbing.

What's the difference between a frog and a toad?

By Elizabeth Howell published

The difference between a frog and a toad is mainly skin-deep. Here's how to tell the amphibians apart.

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