Amphibians possess permanent gills throughout life, allowing them to extract oxygen flawlessly from any water, even in severely polluted environments.
This claim is misleading because amphibians do not retain permanent gills throughout their lives. Most amphibians, like frogs and salamanders, begin life with gills during their larval stage.
As they mature, they undergo metamorphosis, during which their gills are replaced by lungs and specialized skin for respiration. Adult amphibians rely on a combination of lung and cutaneous (skin) breathing to obtain oxygen, and they are quite sensitive to water quality.
Polluted water can impair their skin’s ability to absorb oxygen, making them vulnerable to environmental stress. The notion that amphibians can extract oxygen flawlessly from any water source, regardless of pollution, misrepresents their respiratory adaptations and ecological sensitivities.
In reality, the delicate balance of amphibian respiration underscores their role as important environmental indicators, signaling the health of their ecosystems.