Frogs are amphibians, animals that spend part of their lives under water and the remainder on land. Amphibians are vertebrates that spend part of their lives under water (breathing with gills) and the remainder on land (breathing with lungs). Amphibians are cold-blooded; their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. There are three groups (orders) of living amphibians: newts and salamanders (urodeles); frogs and toads (anurans); and caecilians (the worm-like gymnophiones). Frogs have long, powerful jumping legs and a very short backbone. Most frogs have teeth (in the upper jaws only) but toads do not have any teeth. Like all amphibians, frogs spend their lives near water because they must return to the water to lay their eggs. Frog eggs are laid in the water. When they hatch into tadpoles, they breathe with gills and swim using a tail. As they mature, they lose their tail, and they develop lungs for breathing air. In harsh climates, frogs bury themselves in sand and mud and hibernate (sleep very deeply) through the cold winter. Frogs eat insects, catching them with their long, sticky tongue. They also eat small fish and worms.
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