The paper discusses the development of a linkage based amphibian legged robot for exploration and surveillance tasks. The proposed system can walk on both ground and water surfaces. The proposed system has two major mechanisms for its motion namely a planar eight bar Jansen mechanism as a leg and an Ackermann steering mechanism as for turning. The performance of the proposed mechanisms is verified in terms of motion, force (motion/walking) and structural aspects. The effectiveness and performance of the system is demonstrated by using an in-house fabricated prototype for different working conditions. The Jansen legged mechanism is redesigned in order to improve the drag force during walking on the water surface. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2016.