Fascinating for some, repelling for others, amphibians are animals that do not leave anyone indifferent. Suspended, as they are, between a world of water and one of land. To get to know them better, the “Giacomo Doria” Natural History Museum hosts the AMPHIBIA exhibition to discover the extraordinary biology of these animals. Amphibians lead a surprising life: the eggs are tied to the humid environment and often laid in water; in many cases larvae emerge from these, which in Anurans are called tadpoles, with gills and appendages for swimming. After a certain period, the larvae undergo a metamorphosis, becoming adults with lungs to live on land.

Even the skin of Amphibians, so thin and permeable, is special, because it allows them to absorb oxygen and environmental humidity, therefore some species have no lungs at all. The history of Amphibians began around 300 million years ago , when the first forms populated the Carboniferous swamps, well before the spread of the dinosaurs. They have experienced great success colonizing almost every natural terrestrial environment where fresh water is present. Unfortunately, today they are the most threatened group of vertebrates worldwide due to human activities: according to the IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, of the 8000 living amphibian species, approximately 41% are threatened and at least 37 have become already extinct. The AMPHIBIA exhibition. Life between two worlds of frogs, toads and salamanders tells the story of the world of amphibians with a selection of very special live animals presented inside large furnished terrariums that reproduce the natural environment of the species hosted (all specimens were born in captivity) .

The entire exhibition is illustrated by large format photographs and video projections by the curators Emanuele Biggi and Francesco Tomasinelli, biologists, professional photographers and authors of various scientific exhibitions. The exhibition is organized by: Civic Museum of Natural History “G. Doria”; Communication Unit of the National Research Council; Friends of the Doria Museum.