Amphibians
You may be surprised to find out that amphibians are very important to humans. They are a major source of food in only a few human societies. And although they may become useful in the medical field in the future, currently they are useful in very few practical applications. When you think of it in terms of ecology, however, there is a different story. Amphibians spend a portion f their lives in water and a portion on land. There are an integral part of different but related food chains that directly affect humankind.
When on the land, amphibians of all kinds control the insect populations by feeding on both the larvae and the adults. These wonderful animals help to control the size of insect population that might otherwise destroy important food crops and transmit communicable diseases. Adult amphibians also eat worms and other animals such as birds, snakes, and small mammals.
Sources of food will vary for young amphibians according to their specific species. Tadpoles mainly feed on algae in the water , small plants, and decaying animal matter. Newly hatched salamanders and caecilians are carnivores, with diets similar to those of their parents.
Amphibians are also eaten by other animals such as fish, snakes, turtles, birds, and some mammals however poisons contained within the skin protect some species from predators.
