Amphibians can be found worldwide, except in Antarctica and Greenland. They are found on landmasses and in fresh water. Frogs are the most widespread of the three groups, occurring on all major landmasses inhabited by amphibians. They live in a great variety of habitats, ranging from deserts to rain forests, permanent ponds to high mountain meadows. With only a few exceptions, an aquatic situation is required for breeding and tadpole development.
Salamanders are primarily a north temperate group, occurring in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Some species are found in Africa north of the Sahara, and the tropics in Central and South America to northern Argentina. When on land, they are often found in moist leaf litter and under rocks and logs. In northern areas several species are found in ponds, streams, or rivers. The caecilians are found tropical in environments from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, in tropical Africa, and in Southeast Asia. These limbless animals are usually burrowers.