Frogs and toads belong to a group of amphibians called Anura. There are thousands of species of them. They live almost everywhere on Earth except Antarctica. So how can you tell a frog from a toad?

A frog's skin is usually smooth and slimy. A toad's skin is bumpy, a bit like warts. Frogs have long, strong back legs that they use for leaping. Toads have short legs made for short hops and crawling. Technically, a toad is a kind of frog.

A frog's skin has to stay moist, which is why most frogs live in or near water. A toad's thicker skin loses moisture more slowly, so toads can live farther from water than most frogs.

A toad's skin has glands that make a poison, which helps protect the toad from predators. The poison can irritate the mouths of animals that bite it and the skin of people. It is best not to handle a toad, and nobody should lick or eat one.

Most frogs and toads start life in the water. A tadpole is a young frog that lives in water and breathes with gills. The change from a tadpole into a frog is called metamorphosis.

Frogs and toads call out loudly when it is time to find a mate. They make their calls with the help of one or two pouches of skin called vocal sacs. Male bullfrogs croak to attract mates and to claim their territory.

The American bullfrog is the largest frog in the United States. As of November 2026, it can grow up to about 8 inches long. A female American bullfrog can lay as many as 20,000 eggs.

Poison dart frogs have bright colors that warn predators they are poisonous. In the wild, they have poison in their skin, which makes them too toxic to touch. They eat small animals such as ants, termites and beetles.

Most frogs and toads eat insects. Frogs and toads eat so many insects that they help keep a large part of the world's insect numbers down.

Words to know

• amphibians: water-and-land animals
• tadpole: young frog
• metamorphosis: body change
• moist: a little wet

The short version

Frogs and toads are amphibians in a group called Anura. There are thousands of species, and they live almost everywhere on Earth except Antarctica. A frog's skin is usually smooth and slimy, while a toad's skin is bumpy. Technically, a toad is a kind of frog.

Quick facts

• Frogs have long, strong back legs for leaping, and toads have short legs made for short hops and crawling.
• Most frogs and toads start life in the water, and a tadpole breathes with gills.
• Most frogs and toads eat insects, and they help keep a large part of the world's insect numbers down.
• As of November 2026, the American bullfrog can grow up to about 8 inches long.