Difference Between Amphibians and Reptiles

The amphibians and reptiles are ectothermic or cold-blooded omnivores animals that belong to the same phylum and subphylum. Earlier they were not classified as different in zoology. However, it was discovered that a million years ago, the reptiles transitioned from the amphibians due to the evolutionary processes and changes in the environment. Herpetology is the branch of Zoology that studies the amphibians and the reptiles. In spite of all these similarities there exists differences also between them. Let us now study the difference between amphibians and reptiles.

What are Amphibians?

Amphibians are ectothermic or cold-blooded animals that can live on land as well as in water. They have gills as well as lungs. They use gills to breathe in the water and lungs to breathe on the land. The larval stage of amphibians is spent inside water and adulthood on land. Thus, they have dual lives. They have porous, sticky, and slippery skin that needs moisture. These are oviparous.

For example, toads, salamanders, frogs, etc. The fertilization process of amphibians is external. The male sperm and the female eggs fuse in the water and also the production of an egg is in the water. They undergo the process of metamorphosis in order to develop as an adult.

What are Reptiles?

Reptiles are ectothermic animals that live only on land, are oviparous or viviparous, have four legs, breathe through lungs, lay eggs, and have scales which help them to retain the moisture. They usually live on land but crocodiles, alligators, and turtles are exceptions. For example, snakes, lizards, chameleons, etc. The fertilization process of reptiles is internal. They also do not undergo the process of metamorphosis.

Difference Between Amphibians and Reptiles

The important difference between amphibians and reptiles.

Parameters	Amphibians	Reptiles
Meaning	These are ectothermic animals that can live on land as well as in water.	These are ectothermic animals that can live only on land.
Habitat	They can live in aquatic as well as in the terrestrial environment. Usually, they spend their larval stage in water and adulthood on land.	They live in a terrestrial environment except a few such as crocodiles, alligators, turtles, etc. that live on land as well as in water.
Fertilization and reproduction	The fertilization process is external. They are oviparous. Also, they lay eggs in water which are covered with a gel.	The fertilization process is internal. They are oviparous and viviparous both. Also, they lay their eggs on land that have a hard covering.
Respiration	They breathe through the lungs on land and through gills in water.	They breathe only through the lungs.
Color spectrum	They have restrictions on the visualization of certain colors. Thus, they have narrow bands of the color spectrum.	They can visualize different colors and also distinguish them. They have a wide range of the color spectrum.
Heart	They have a three-chambered heart.	They also have a three-chambered heart with the ventricle further divided through a septum.
Toxins	They secrete toxins from the skin in order to protect themselves from predators.	They have hard scales that protect them and produce toxins from nails and teeth.
Type of skin	Their skin is smooth, sticky, highly porous, and moist.	Their skin is hard, dry, and scaly.
Type of feet	Amphibians have webbed feet. These help them in jumping and swimming.	Reptiles have four limbs. These help them in running and swimming. However, snakes do not have legs or limbs. Thus, they crawl.

After learning the difference between amphibians and reptiles, let us also study some similarities between them.

Similarities between Amphibians and Reptiles:

1. They both belong to the same phylum i.e. Chordata and sub-phylum i.e. Vertebrata.
2. They both are ectothermic or cold-blooded animals and thus regulate the body temperature depending on the external conditions.
3. Both of them use camouflage to protect themselves from predators.
4. They are both omnivores.
5. Both of these animals have an opening known as the cloaca. It serves as the common opening for the genital, urinary, and intestinal outlet.

FAQs about amphibians and reptiles:

Q.1. What is Seymouria?

Answer. Millions of years ago, the reptiles transitioned from the amphibians due to the evolutionary process and the environmental changes. Also, it is said that the amphibians are the link between the fish and the terrestrial reptiles. Seymouria is an organism that has skull properties similar to the amphibians and has a skeleton similar to the reptiles. Thus, it is known for the link between the amphibians and the reptiles.

Q.2. Explain Tetrapod and Fossorial animals?

Answer. Tetrapod animals are animals with four legs or limbs. One interesting fact here is that though the snakes do not have legs they have evolved from the Tetrapod animals.

Fossorial animals refer to the animals that burrow underground.