Is a toad different from a frog? Technically, a toad is a kind of frog. You may have heard that touching a toad gives you warts. In fact, it does not. Touching a toad does not give you warts. Let's see how frogs and toads are alike and different.
A frog has long, strong back legs. It uses them for leaping. The longer its back legs are, the farther it can usually hop. Frogs often escape danger by jumping away quickly. A toad has short legs. They are made for short hops and crawling.
A frog's skin is usually smooth and slimy. A toad's skin is bumpy. It is a bit like warts. A frog's skin has to stay moist. That is why most frogs live in or near water.
Frogs take in water through their skin. They do not drink it. Frogs breathe with lungs. They also breathe through their moist skin. A toad's skin is thicker. It loses moisture more slowly. So toads can live farther from water than most frogs.
A toad's skin makes a poison. The poison can irritate people. It is best not to handle a toad. Nobody should lick or eat one. Poison dart frogs have bright colors. The colors warn predators they are poisonous. In the wild, they have poison in their skin. It makes them too toxic to touch.
Frog eggs are usually laid in clusters. Toad eggs are laid in long strings. The change from a tadpole into a frog is called metamorphosis. A tadpole grows legs. Its tail is absorbed into its body.
Baby Surinam toads grow up on their mother's back. They do not swim around as tadpoles. American bullfrogs are carnivores. They eat other animals, not plants. Wood frogs spend the winter frozen. They thaw out when the weather warms.
Words to know
- moist: a little wet
- predators: animal hunters
- clusters: tight groups
- metamorphosis: body change
- carnivores: meat eaters
