Summary:
- Amphibians reproduce sexually with external or internal fertilization.
- Their eggs are usually covered in a jelly-like substance, like the frog eggs shown in Figure below.
- The “jelly” helps keep the eggs moist and offers some protection from predators.
- Most amphibian species go through a larval stage that is very different from the adult form.
- The early larval, or tadpole, stage resembles a fish.
- It lacks legs and has a long tail, which it uses to swim.
- It also has gills to absorb oxygen from water.
- As the larva undergoes metamorphosis, it grows legs, loses its tail, and develops lungs.