Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
Frogs are amphibians, which means ‘tail-less’, from the Greek an-, meaning ‘without’ and oura, meaning ‘tail’. Formerly, they were referred to as Salientia, which comes from the Latin salere, ‘to jump’. Frogs are, of course, known for their jumping ability, as well as their strange life cycle — born as tadpoles, which later go through a metamorphosis. However, did you know that frogs — in common with other amphibians — can breathe through their skin. This allows them to hibernate for several months beneath piles of mud and decaying leaves underwater.
How this skin breathing works is explained in this great video from TutorVista:
More Stories
Unlocking Herstory: The Historical Quest of the Elusive Female ‘O’
Mother nature’s giants in the deep sea: Exploring the rationale behind their enormousness
Conserving the world’s strangest parrot