Technically, a toad is a kind of frog. True toads belong to a family of frogs called Bufonidae. Frogs and toads together belong to a group of amphibians called Anura.

Frogs breathe with lungs and also through their moist skin. A frog's skin has to stay moist, which is why most frogs live in or near water. Frogs take in water by absorbing it through their skin instead of drinking it. A toad's thicker skin loses moisture more slowly, so toads can live farther from water than most frogs.

Toads have large glands behind the eyes, called parotoid glands, that make their poison. The poison helps protect the toad from predators. The poison from toad glands is called bufotoxin. It can kill small animals and cause allergic reactions in people. It is best not to handle a toad, and nobody should lick or eat one. A toad's bumpy skin also helps it blend into its surroundings.

Wood frogs spend the winter frozen and thaw out when the weather warms. A frozen wood frog thaws from the inside outward.

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 bullfrog tadpole can take two winters, or almost three years, to turn into a frog. A female American bullfrog can lay as many as 20,000 eggs.

A male bullfrog croaks to attract mates and to claim his territory. His low call can be heard for more than a kilometer. Some frog calls are so loud they can be heard up to a mile away. Frogs make their calls with the help of one or two pouches of skin called vocal sacs.

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.

As of November 2026, habitat loss and invasive species are among the biggest threats to frogs and toads. Also as of November 2026, a fungus disease called chytrid is causing severe declines in many frog populations.

Frogs and toads eat so many insects that they help keep a large part of the world's insect numbers down. Amphibians also react strongly to changes in their surroundings, so scientists use them as signs of how healthy a place is.

Words to know

• amphibians: water-and-land animals
• moist: a little wet
• glands: body parts
• territory: claimed area
• chytrid: fungus disease