Difference Between Frogs and Toads
#MeritBadgeMonday
REPTILE AND AMPHIBIAN STUDY
3c.
Imagine crossing a swampy area in your canoe and you hear the distance rib-it rib-its. Do you know if it is a frog or a toad?... The hint is in the area where you hear the croaking. Since you are in a swampy area, the chances are extremely high that you just heard a frog. Even though frogs and toads are of the same animal group they are very different animals. Below are some ways to identify between a frog and a toad.
Frogs:
- Narrow Bodies
- Eyes are large, round, and high on the head
- Skin is smooth and moist
- Habitat is near water
- Longer hind legs
- Able to jump high and long distances
- Many predators
Toads:
- Do not require their home to be near water
- Wider / flatter bodies
- Hind legs are shorter and less powerful
- Will take small hops and sometimes will run rather than jump
- Skin is dry, bumpy, and rough
- Eyes are lower on the head and almost "football" shaped
- Not many predators. Their skin lets out a bitter taste and smell that burns the eyes and nostrils of its predators.
Awesome Critter Video posted on YouTube by NatureNorth of the 7 week hatching and growth cycle of a frog.