Do frogs have gills or lungs? Frogs use both, but not at the same stage of life. Tadpoles usually breathe with gills, while adult frogs breathe with lungs and also exchange gases through their moist skin.
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Short answer
Frogs have both gills and lungs, but they use them at different stages of life. Tadpoles usually hatch in water and breathe with gills. During metamorphosis, the gills disappear, the lungs develop, and the young frog begins breathing air. Adult frogs also absorb oxygen through their moist skin.
How tadpoles use gills
A tadpole is the aquatic young stage of a frog. Its gills pull oxygen from water as water passes over delicate tissues. This works much like the gills of a fish, although tadpole gills are eventually covered or reduced as the animal changes. A tadpole can therefore remain underwater while it grows its legs and changes its body shape.
When frogs develop lungs
As a tadpole becomes a froglet, its body reorganizes. The tail is absorbed, the legs grow, and the gills shrink away. Lungs become the main breathing organs for life on land. A frog draws air into its lungs by moving the floor of its mouth rather than using a human-style chest and diaphragm.
Why frog skin matters
Adult frogs do not rely on lungs alone. Their thin, moist skin allows oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass between the body and the surrounding air or water. This process is called cutaneous respiration. It is especially useful when a frog is resting, underwater, or not moving enough air through its lungs. The skin must stay damp for this exchange to work, which helps explain why frogs are often found near ponds, streams, and other moist habitats.
Can adult frogs breathe underwater?
Some frogs can exchange enough gas through their skin to remain underwater for a while, especially when the water is cool and oxygenated. They cannot usually stay submerged indefinitely, because their oxygen needs and skin-breathing ability vary by species, temperature, activity, and water quality. Many frogs still surface to breathe with their lungs.
How breathing changes through a frog’s life
- Egg: the developing embryo exchanges gases across its surrounding tissues.
- Tadpole: gills help extract oxygen from water.
- Froglet: lungs develop while the gills disappear.
- Adult frog: lungs and moist skin work together.
How tadpoles breathe
Tadpoles live in water and begin life with gills. Water passes over the gill surfaces, allowing oxygen dissolved in the water to move into the bloodstream. Early tadpoles are not miniature adult frogs; their bodies are adapted for swimming and underwater breathing.
How adult frogs breathe
As a tadpole grows, its lungs develop and its gills disappear. Adult frogs draw air into their lungs through the mouth and nostrils. Their lungs are simple compared with human lungs, so they supplement lung breathing with gas exchange through the skin.
Why frog skin matters
A frog’s skin must stay moist for gases to pass through it. Oxygen can move across the skin into small blood vessels, while carbon dioxide moves out. This is especially important when a frog is resting underwater or when its lungs are not doing all the work.
How breathing changes
The change from gills to lungs is part of metamorphosis. The tail shrinks, legs develop, and the young frog gradually becomes better suited to life on land. Even after metamorphosis, a frog still depends on damp surroundings because dry skin makes breathing harder.
Short answer
Do frogs have gills or lungs? Tadpoles have gills, and adult frogs have lungs. Adult frogs also breathe through their moist skin, so both systems help them get oxygen.
Do frogs have gills or lungs as they grow? The answer changes during metamorphosis. Do frogs have gills or lungs in water as adults? Adult frogs rely mainly on lungs and skin, while tadpoles rely on gills. Read what a frog is and where frogs live for related facts.