What is the Difference Between Mammals and Amphibians?

Mammals and amphibians are two distinct classes of vertebrate animals that have some similarities but also many differences. Here are the key differences between mammals and amphibians:

1. Body Temperature: Mammals are warm-blooded, meaning they can regulate their body temperature internally, while amphibians are cold-blooded, relying on external factors like the surrounding environment to regulate their body temperature.
2. Skin: Mammals have hair or fur on their skin, which provides insulation and protection, while amphibians have a bare, moist skin.
3. Reproduction: Mammals have mammary glands to feed their young with milk, while amphibian newborns are not breastfed.
4. Parental Care: Mammals generally exhibit a high level of parental care for their offspring, while amphibians have a lower level of parental care.
5. Size: Mammals can reach large body sizes, sometimes exceptionally large, while amphibians are usually much smaller.
6. Habitat: Mammals have conquered most of the Earth, living in a variety of environments, while the majority of amphibians are restricted to wet environments.
7. Reproduction: Internal fertilization occurs in mammals during sexual reproduction, while external fertilization is common in amphibians.

Despite these differences, both mammals and amphibians have some common features, such as being deuterostomes with bilateral symmetry and having two eyes with colored vision.

Comparative Table: Mammals vs Amphibians

Here is a table highlighting the differences between mammals and amphibians:

Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that nourish their young with milk produced by mammary glands. They typically have fur or hair on their skin, which provides insulation. Mammals breathe through lungs or a diaphragm and usually give birth to live offspring.

Amphibians, on the other hand, are cold-blooded vertebrates that lay their eggs in water. Their skin is smooth, moist, and permeable to water and oxygen. Amphibians have a dual respiratory system, using gills, lungs, or their skin for breathing. They require a aquatic environment for at least part of their life, typically for reproduction, and their young go through a transformation from an aquatic larval stage to a terrestrial adult stage.