What's the Difference Between an Amphibian and a Reptile?

There are so many different types of animals in the world. Hundreds of thousands of unique species exist on the planet Earth. Scientist discovered a way of studying these species more conveniently as they discovered certain similarities in different types of animals. They divided and classified all the known species into different classes based on these similarities. You might have heard about these classes in your daily life such as birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, fish, etc. Out of all these classes, reptiles and amphibians have more similarities. Often, people find it hard to differentiate between them both. However, amphibians and reptiles are very different from each other. You can easily spot an amphibian or a reptile if you know the basics. Here are some differences between an amphibian and a reptile.

Definitions

An amphibian is an ectothermic animal which means that it is cold-blooded. It matures in the water but can live on land and water both. It has gills to breathe in the water. However, it uses lungs to breathe on land.

Reptile is also an ectothermic animal. A reptile only lives on land. It has four legs. Only some reptiles such as alligators, crocodiles, etc can live in water.

Reproduction

An amphibian is oviparous in nature. This means that the embryo develops inside the mother in the egg before it is hatched outside. On the other hand, a reptile can be oviparous or viviparous.

Visualization

Amphibians have a very narrowed down spectrum that they can view. Reptiles have the ability to visualize and distinguish a wide spectrum of colors.

Protection

Amphibians have toxins on their skin that protects them from dangerous animals. Reptiles have scaled skin. They also have toxins in their teeth and nail.