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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.