Amphibians

The American Heritage Dictionary defines Amphibian as: "A cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrate of the class Amphibia, such as a frog or salamander, that characteristically hatches as an aquatic larva with gills. The larva then transforms into an adult having air-breathing lungs." In the Great Smoky Mountain National Park amphibians break down into two categories: Frogs and Salamanders. The frogs and salamanders in the park are carnivorous, feeding on insects and other small invertebrate animals. Amphibians, being partially aquatic by nature are found in the streams and moist areas of the park. Like all the animals in the park you should leave amphibians in their habitat and enjoy them from a distance.

Frogs & Toads

From the bullfrog to the Eastern American Toad, there are 13 species of frogs and toads in the National Park. Frogs or toads are defined as tail-less amphibians usually having long hind legs, protruding eyes and webbed digits. All the toads in the park breed in water so if you are looking for these amphibians in the park you should look for water or at least marshy land. There are several species of tree frog in the park so some my be up off the ground.

Salamanders

The Smokies are known as the Salamander Capitol of the World. There are thirty known species of salamander in the park. Of the thirty species there are twenty-four species of lungless salamanders alone. These lungless salamanders get oxygen through their skin. The diversity and number of salamanders in the Smokies make them the largest group of vertebrates in the area. They are extremely hard to find but when you do you are in for a treat. The salamanders in the park range in color from bright red to blue or more earth toned brown and black. Much like frogs and toads in the park look for salamanders around streams, especially in the spring of the year. Salamanders are a very diverse classification of animal and they have evolved to be very adapted to their environment.

Birds Amphibians Fish Mammals Reptiles Synchronous Fireflies