Reptiles and More

Reptiles and Amphibians are often mixed up and confused for one another - fortunately you can avoid this confusion and just call the whole group "Herps," short for herptiles.
garter snakes

Reptiles

pacific chorus frog

Amphibians

Newts, Toads and Other Confusing Critters

Most people know what makes a reptile - they're scaly and cold-blooded (ectothermic), and they lay eggs.

But what makes an amphibian?

Amphibians are also cold-blooded, but they have skin, not scales. They do lay eggs, but their eggs are soft, slimy, and small. Amphibians hatch in the water, live there for a while (think tadpole!) and then change dramatically to become adults who can leave the water if they want to.

Amphibians are so confusing because many of them look like reptiles - toads, for example, aren't always slimy, so their skin can feel like scales. And many animals are amphibious, meaning they can swim, even though they aren't amphibians.

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Sources:
The Northwest Nature Guide, Timber Press 2009
Images by USFWS