Anura

/əˈnʊr.ə/ noun

Definition

An order of amphibians that includes all frogs and toads, characterized by lacking tails as adults.

Etymology

From Greek 'a-' (without) plus 'oura' (tail); literally 'without a tail', describing the defining characteristic of this amphibian group.

Kelly Says

Frogs and toads didn't always lack tails—their tadpole ancestors had them, but they lose them during metamorphosis in one of nature's most dramatic transformations, going from a fish-like creature to a hopping insect-eater.

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