Select the one animal that has all of the amphibian traits listed above.
American green tree frogs have moist, smooth skin and lay eggs with no shells. They live underwater for the first part of their lives. As adults, they live on land near ponds or swamps. Adult male American green tree frogs have a loud mating call. Chinese alligators live in lakes and streams in eastern China. They lay eggs with shells and live in underground burrows in the winter. Chinese alligators have scaly, waterproof skin.
Amphibians are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify amphibians:
They spend part of their lives in water and part on land.
They have moist skin.
They make eggs with no shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Amphibians have the following traits:
They spend part of their lives in water and part on land.
They have moist skin.
They make eggs with no shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A Chinese alligator has the following traits:
It has scaly, waterproof skin.
It makes eggs with shells.
A Chinese alligator does not have all of the traits of an amphibian. A Chinese alligator is a reptile.
A green tree frog has the following traits:
It spends part of its life in water and part on land.
It has moist skin.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A green tree frog has the traits of an amphibian. A green tree frog is an amphibian.