Where does the great crested newt spend its time and what is its larval respiration?

Where does the great crested newt spend its time and what is its larval respiration?

• A. In land; adults breathe with lungs.
• B. In water; larvae breathe with gills.
• C. On land; larvae breathe with lungs.
• D. In water; larvae breathe through skin.

Answer: (B)

Amphibians shift habitats between life stages, with aquatic larvae and usually more terrestrial adults. For the great crested newt, breeding happens in water and the young develop there as aquatic larvae. In this larval stage they rely on gills to extract oxygen from the water, which is the primary respiration mode during that stage. That’s why the description “in water; larvae breathe with gills” fits best. The other statements mix up where the adults or larvae spend their time or misstate how the larvae breathe (lungs aren’t the primary respiration method for larvae).

Amphibians shift habitats between life stages, with aquatic larvae and usually more terrestrial adults. For the great crested newt, breeding happens in water and the young develop there as aquatic larvae. In this larval stage they rely on gills to extract oxygen from the water, which is the primary respiration mode during that stage. That’s why the description “in water; larvae breathe with gills” fits best. The other statements mix up where the adults or larvae spend their time or misstate how the larvae breathe (lungs aren’t the primary respiration method for larvae).