Nancy by Olivia Jaimes for August 14, 2013

Well, a couple of critters think that the fast food joint is kinda convenient… (XD)

…..the poison of prejudice is everywhere……

A least they don’t share the same bowl.

If it isn’t, they should have.

Goldie better be careful—they can breathe out of water…she can’t.

@acacian:turtles are reptiles, not amphibians. I have 2 pet turtles2 female red eared sliders, the largest one will let me pet her on the neck and legs, but the smallest is very shy.

That turtle just might eat that frog.

Good thing Garfield doesn’t live close by.

Okay, this is from Wikipedia, about Amphibians: =Amphibians are ectothermic, tetrapod vertebrates of the class Amphibia (Greek ἀμφí, amphi, “both” + βíος, bios, “life”). They inhabit a wide variety of habitats with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Amphibians typically start out as larva living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. The young generally undergo metamorphosis from larva with gills to an adult air-breathing form with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory surface and some small terrestrial salamanders and frogs lack lungs and rely entirely upon skin. They are superficially similar to reptiles but, along with mammals and birds, reptiles are amniotes and do not require water bodies in which to breed. With their complex reproductive needs and permeable skins, amphibians are often ecological indicators and in recent decades there has been a dramatic decline in amphibian populations for many species around the globe.

Stare them right back.

Frogs, frogs, frogs they are everywhereFrogs, frogs, frogs croaking fill the airLouder, louder, louder is their blasted blareAnd there’s no silence in the night.

“Apology accepted, read something other than Wikipedia sometime.”^Well, aren’t you presuming much for a rookie!… I wasn’t taking that tone, but I will say this: I have found and can find the information elsewhere!… I used Wikipedia, because it covered the point well.. but you seem to try to pull the old (employing sarcastic voice:) ‘Wikipedia is dumb… blaaaaah… I don’t like it… "… well, there is more on the subject….=But I also notice that you didn’t cite any source.. you keep saying things but never show the source… hmmmmm……. =I also asked follow up questions yesterday that you didn’t respond to…..

http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/herps/herps.html(Quebec Biodiversiy Website)

What is an amphibian?

Amphibians consist of three groups of vertebrates: frogs, salamanders and caecilians (found in the tropics only). Amphibians have smooth, scaleless skin which is permeable to water. Water can evaporate easily from the skin, and an amphibian can dry up and die in a few hours if it does not have access to water. Thus amphibians tend to be active at times when evaporation is minimized: at night and when it rains.

However, this same skin permeability makes it possible for amphibians to obtain moisture from sources besides pools of water. This means that amphibians can live in very dry climates, like deserts, and when the dry season arrives, they just burrow underground and pull in moisture from the surrounding soil. Despite this, the amphibian’s tie to water remains: their eggs must be laid in water in order to survive.

[PDF]www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/lpreptile.pdf‎

What is a Reptile? Ask the students to identify which animals are reptiles. Often, this discussion includes a little on dinosaurs, but this is not the focus, and could be a program all by itself. Steer the discussion to explore the following topics: reptiles are cold-blooded reptiles lay eggs on land reptiles are covered with scales there are four (major) groups of reptiles some reptiles eat plants, some eat animals, some eat both Reptiles include crocodilians, turtles, snakes, lizards and the tuatara (a little-known lizard-like reptile that is still around from the Cretaceous Era). = What is an Amphibian? Compare reptiles with amphibians, and briefly discuss some of the differences. Many people confuse amphibians with reptiles. Amphibious means ‘belonging to both land and water’ – but not all amphibious creatures are amphibians. Amphibians go through a metamorphosis; starting from an egg into the larvae stage being typically aquatic, breathing by gills, and finally the adults being typically semi-terrestrial, breathing by lungs and through the moist skin. Crocodiles, pond turtles, marine iguanas and sea snakes are all amphibious but they are all reptiles, skipping the larvae stage of amphibians. Amphibians are cold-blooded Amphibians lay eggs in water (mostly) Amphibians are covered in smooth or bumpy skin Amphibians almost always eat small animals like insects Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians- a little known amphibian that lives underground, and looks a bit like an eel or a very fat worm. =What’s the Difference Between Amphibians and Reptiles? One of the major differences that you can see is that nearly all reptiles have scales covering their skin, and amphibians have no scales, although they may be smooth or bumpy. Both amphibians and reptiles come from eggs, but amphibian eggs need to stay moist or wet as they develop. Most amphibian eggs are laid in water. Reptile eggs need to stay dry, and all reptiles lay eggs on land, often burying them. Except for alligators and crocodiles, nearly all reptiles abandon their eggs, and offer no care to their young. There are many examples of frogs that care for their eggs or tadpoles, but most amphibians abandon their eggs in a water body, and offer no care

I have to admit I don’t quite get it—why are the turtle and frog scowling at Goldie?