Amphibians start their life in the water and later move on to living on land. Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts and salamanders.

During the mating season in spring the adult animals go into water. Male frogs and toads attract their females with loud calls. With a little practice you can tell the individual species  by their sound. Give it a try!

After mating, the female lays eggs that develop into tadpoles. At first they still breathe with their gills. Little by little they grow legs and also a lung, a process known as metamorphosis. Finally, the tiny amphibians leave the water to spend their lives on land.

Amphibians are echtotherm animals. They cannot always maintain their temperature at the same high level as humans or other mammals, but always have the same temperature as their environment. They spend the winter in sheltered hiding places where they fall into a torpor. Alternatively they spend the winter at the bottom of a body of water.