Amphibians and Reptiles

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Nikki. She loved animals and wanted to learn more about them. She had a book with pictures of different animals and their names.

One day, she saw a picture of a frog and a picture of a lizard. She wondered what they were and how they were different from each other.

She asked her father, “Papa, what are these animals called? Are they the same kind of animal?”

Her father smiled and said, “No, Nikki, they are not the same kind of animal. The one with the smooth skin and long legs is called a frog. The one with the scaly skin and short legs is called a lizard. Frogs are amphibians and lizards are reptiles. Do you want to know what that means?”

Nikki nodded eagerly and said, “Yes, please!”

Her father said, “Well, amphibians and reptiles are both cold-blooded animals, which means they cannot make their own body heat. They have to get warm by lying in the sun or finding a cozy place to hide. But they have many differences too. Let me tell you a story about them.”

Nikki listened carefully as her father began the story.

“Once upon a time, there was a frog named Froggy and a lizard named Lizzy. They lived in a forest near a pond. Froggy loved to swim in the pond and catch insects with his sticky tongue. Lizzy loved to climb on the trees and catch insects with her sharp teeth.

One day, Froggy and Lizzy met each other at the edge of the pond. They said hello and started to chat.

‘You have such nice skin,’ Froggy said to Lizzy. ‘It is so shiny and colorful.’

‘Thank you,’ Lizzy said to Froggy. ‘You have such nice legs. They are so long and strong.’

‘Thank you,’ Froggy said to Lizzy. ‘Do you want to swim with me in the pond? It is so fun and refreshing.’

‘No, thank you,’ Lizzy said to Froggy. ‘I don’t like water very much. It makes my skin dry and itchy.’

‘Oh, I see,’ Froggy said to Lizzy. ‘Do you want to climb with me on the trees? It is so exciting and adventurous.’

‘No, thank you,’ Froggy said to Lizzy. ‘I don’t like heights very much. They make me dizzy and scared.’

‘Oh, I see,’ Lizzy said to Froggy.

They realized that they had very different preferences and hobbies.

‘Why are we so different?’ Froggy asked Lizzy.

‘Well, it is because we are different kinds of animals,’ Lizzy explained to Froggy.

She told him that she was a reptile and he was an amphibian.

‘Reptiles have scales that cover their bodies,’ she said. ‘They protect us from drying out and from getting hurt by predators.’

Amphibians have moist skin that helps them breathe,’ he said. ‘They absorb water and oxygen through their skin.’

‘Reptiles have lungs that help them breathe,’ she said. ‘We inhale air through our nostrils and exhale it through our mouths.’

‘Amphibians have gills when they are young,’ he said. ‘They live in water and breathe through their gills.’

‘Reptiles lay eggs that have hard shells,’ she said. ‘We bury them in the ground or hide them in nests.’

‘Amphibians lay eggs that have soft jelly-like coverings,’ he said. ‘We lay them in water or moist places.’

‘Reptiles hatch from their eggs as mini versions of their parents,’ she said. ‘We look the same as we grow up.’

‘Amphibians hatch from their eggs as tadpoles,’ he said. ‘We look very different from our parents until we change into frogs or salamanders or caecilians.’

They learned a lot about each other’s lives and characteristics.

‘That is so interesting,’ Froggy said to Lizzy.

‘Yes, it is,’ Lizzy agreed with Froggy.

They decided that even though they were different, they could still be friends.

They played together for a while, respecting each other’s likes and dislikes.

They had fun and learned from each other.

They became good friends and lived happily ever after.”

Nikki clapped her hands and said, “That was a great story, Papa! Thank you for telling me!”

Her father hugged her and said, “You’re welcome, Nikki! I’m glad you liked it!”

Nikki smiled and said, “I love amphibians and reptiles! They are both amazing animals!”

Her father smiled back and said, “Yes, they are! And so are you!”