Is it a frog or a toad? Let's look closely. A frog has long, strong back legs that it uses for leaping. A toad has short legs made for short hops and crawling.

A frog's skin is usually smooth and slimy. A toad's skin is bumpy, a bit like warts. But touching a toad does not give you warts.

A toad's skin makes a poison. The poison can irritate the mouths of animals that bite it. It can also irritate people, so it is best not to handle a toad. Nobody should lick or eat one.

A frog breathes with lungs. It also breathes through its moist skin. Its skin has to stay moist, which is why most frogs live in or near water.

Most toads live in drier places than frogs, which stay near water.

Most frogs and toads eat insects.

A red-eyed tree frog is green, which helps it blend in with leaves.

Most frogs and toads start life in the water. Frog eggs are soft and covered in jelly. Tadpoles hatch out of eggs.

A tadpole is a young frog that lives in water and breathes with gills. During metamorphosis, a tadpole grows legs and its tail is absorbed into its body.

Words to know

• poison: harmful stuff
• moist: a little wet
• tadpole: young frog
• metamorphosis: body change