Amphibians as indicators
“Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as primitive, dull and dim witted. In fact, of course, they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, surprisingly affectionate and very sophisticated” - David Attenborough. Amphibians have survived on earth for 300 million years longer than humanity and have gone through some unusual evolutionary changes over their period of settlement. Over 8000 known species of amphibians exist and they comprise frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians. Although morphologically similar to the class of reptiles, amphibians have adaptations which allow them to survive in land and water. In order to survive, amphibians are dependent on pristine freshwater habitats as they are vulnerable to habitat degradation. An ecological indicator is an organism which provides relevant data about an ecosystem and the impacts of human activity on it. Amphibians are considered ecological indicators as they have complex reproductive requirements and porous