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Amphibians are vertebrates of the taxonomic class Amphibia including animals such as Frogs and Toads (order Anura), Salamanders (order Caudata), and Caecilians (order Gymnophiona). Thought of as cold-blooded, amphibians are ectotherms, meaning they are unable to regulate their own body temperature independently of the temperature of their surroundings. Amphibians are generally small with thin skin permeable to air and water. With few exceptions, amphibians do not actively care for their young. In general, amphibian reproduction strategy consists of egg-laying and external fertilization of a large number of eggs in a moist or fully aquatic environment. Fertilized eggs develop into amphibian larvae that live part of their lives dependent on an aquatic environment requiring gills and specialized feeding habits. Following a pattern of development unique to amphibians, amphibian larvae undergo marked changes and metamorphose into an terrestrial form that lives on land. Typically, this metamorphosis is demonstrated by loss of gills, changes in overall appearance, and changes in diet. In Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, amphibians are represented by several taxonomic families within the two orders below:

	Frogs and Toads (order Anura) This order includes amphibians with strong hindlimbs such as treefrogs, riparian frogs, and toads.
	Salamanders (order Caudata) This order includes tailed amphibians such as newts, salamanders, and sirens.

Ecological Importance of Amphibians
Amphibians live in diverse habitats, often in large numbers, and play several important ecological roles. As consumers, amphibians help regulate populations of the organisms they consume, chiefly invertebrates. As prey items, amphibians are consumed by a variety of larger predators such as reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, predatory invertebrates, and other amphibians. When consumed by larger predators, amphibians transfer the energy and nutrients from amphibian prey items such as small invertebrates to larger predators.

Amphibians in the Southeastern United States
Detailed information about amphibians in the southeastern United States is available [Click here]. Species profiles for southeastern U.S. amphibian species in need of conservation are available from the "Amphibian Species in Need of Conservation" page, accessible from the navigation menu at left.

For additional Web resources about amphibians of the Southeastern U.S., refer to the NBII Catalog Query for Amphibians located on the "Amphibian Web Resources" page, accessible from the navigation menu at left. Web tools and resources including NBII Metadata clearinghouse records are available from the Amphibian Web Resources page as well. 

For details with references from the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab about amphibians in the southeast, click "more..." below.

Schoolyard Amphibian Conservation

In addition to protecting streams and rivers from pollution by catching and filtering storm runoff, wetlands benefit amphibian conservation by providing breeding habitat. Recognizing their value as outdoor learning environments, several schools in the SAIN region have created wetlands to connect students to natural world.

One regional schoolyard wetland offering students the opportunity to observe and study amphibians in their natural setting is Project NEW, the Norris Elementary Wetland in Anderson County, Tennessee, which has received several high-profile grants for outdoor education. The goal is to allow students to conduct research about organisms in the NEW habitat and to investigate the scope of amphibian deformities found locally.

Would your school like to participate in amphibian conservation?

To take part in amphibian conservation and wetland creation, some helpful online guides are available to assist you:

"How To: Build a Vernal Pond" by Outdoor America [Click to Download, PDF Format, 279 KB]

"How To: Vernal Pond Encore" by Thomas R. Biebighauser

"A Guide to Creating Vernal Pools: All the Information You Need to Build and Maintain an Ephemeral Wetland" by Thomas R. Biebighauser [Click to Download, PDF format, 2.9 MB]

For more information about outdoor environmental education in the southeast, including lists of participating schools in Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee, visit www.southeastee.org.