Page "Amphibian" Paragraph 53

Tadpoles retain the lateral line system of their ancestral fishes but this is lost in terrestrial adult amphibians.

Some caecilians possess electroreceptors which allow them to locate objects around them when submerged in water.

The ears are well developed in frogs.

There is no external ear but the large circular eardrum lies on the surface of the head just behind the eye.

This vibrates and sound is transmitted through a single bone, the stapes, to the inner ear.

Only high frequency sounds like mating calls are heard in this way but low frequency noises can be detected through another mechanism.

There is a patch of specialized haircells called " papilla amphibiorum " in the inner ear capable of detecting deeper sounds.

Another feature unique to amphibians is the columella-opercular complex, adjoining the auditory capsule, which is involved in the transmission of both airborne and seismic signals.

The ears of salamanders and caecilians are less highly developed than frogs as they do not normally communicate with each other by sound.