Have you ever wondered what the difference between frogs and toads is? Actually, toads are a type of frog. Toads usually have bumpy skin that is drier than a frog’s. Toads also are more likely to live on land. But frogs and toads have a lot in common.
Frogs and toads both start life in the water. Their mothers lay eggs in a puddle or near a stream. The fathers fertilize the eggs and sometimes move them to a wetter place. The fathers carry the eggs in their mouths or even on their backs. After the eggs hatch, the tadpoles or polliwogs, as they are sometimes called, live in the water for several weeks. They have a tail like a fish and they breathe through gills.
Slowly they develop legs and lungs and lose their tails. Then they can hop out on land.
Fun Facts about Frogs and Toads
- Frogs and toads are carnivores. They eat worms, spiders, slugs and snails. Larger frogs eat mice and lizards.
- Frogs and toads don’t have a neck. Their bulging eyes can look in almost any direction, or they jump to see something because they can’t turn their heads.
- The largest frog is the goliath frog, which weighs over 6 pounds and grows 13 inches long. The smallest frog, the gold frog is less than ½ inch long.
- One type of frog swallows her eggs. They grow in her tummy and when they hatch, she vomits the tadpoles up – sort of like when Ron vomited slugs in “Harry Potter.”
- There are well over 6,000 species of frogs and toads
- In the United States we have approx 90 different species of frogs
- The tree frog as the name suggests can climb trees. The tree frog has little disks that act like suckers at the end of its toes
- There are many different colored frogs. For example we have the Blue Dart Frog, Red Eyed Tree Frog, Yellow Banded Poison Frog. These colors act as camouflage to hide from predators and also act as a warning to predators to stay away because some frogs are poisonous.
- Some frogs can change color. The Gray Tree Frog can change color from gray to green depending on where it is sitting
- The largest frog in the United States is the American Bullfrog while the largest frog in Europe is called the Marsh Frog
- Frogs do not need to drink water, they absorb water through their skin
Frogs and Toads Vocabulary
- Bumpy: covered with bumps or lumps
- Puddle: small pool of water
- Bulging: large, sticking out
- Vomit: throw up
Learn More All About Frogs and Toads
Watch this educational video to know more about frogs and toads:
A video about the difference between frogs and toads.
Frog and Toad Q&A
Question: Are frogs and toads poisonous?
Answer: Many toads have poisonous slime on their skins that can cause a rash. The slime on a dart frog’s skin is so toxic that one drop could kill a man.
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Question: Are frogs and toads endangered?
Answer: Some species are endangered and frogs and toads everywhere seem to be disappearing. People fill in wetlands to build buildings so frogs don’t have a place to live. Pollution in rivers, swamps and streams can kill frogs and toads.
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