Amphibians are vertebrates that typically begin life in water with gills and later develop lungs for terrestrial respiration. They include frogs, toads, and salamanders. Frogs and toads belong to order Anura, while salamanders belong to order Caudata. Snakes are reptiles belonging to order Squamata, characterized by scaly skin, lung-based respiration, and amniotic eggs - they are completely separate from amphibians.