Frogs and Toads
| From Egg to Tadpole to Toad... |
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| Images © Sharon Hosko |
You might wonder what the difference is between a frog and a toad. Well, actually toads ARE frogs. Generally amphibians called frogs have long legs (good for hopping), smooth and moist skin, and pads on their toes to help them climb. Most toads, are heavyset with shorter legs, and have drier skin which often times looks bumpy. Due to their skin requirements, frogs are more likely to live near water than toads. But wait! Some frogs may not live near water and some toads may have smooth skin. These animals are so amazing and diverse; there is no one description that can say it all!
Everyone knows that most frogs and toads start life as a tadpole, in the water. But do you know how that tadpole came to be? Sometimes frog eggs are laid in great masses (like green frogs) in the water, sometimes they are laid in foam nests (like grey tree frogs) on branches, and sometimes they are laid on leaves above the water, and the tadpoles can hatch and fall right in. Once the eggs are laid, sometimes parents will watch over their eggs (even the dad frogs can baby-sit) but others have so many eggs, that they can't possibly watch over them all! Some frogs will have as many as 2,000 eggs in one season!
You may notice that frogs and toads come in a variety of colors. Each color helps to signal a different survival technique against predators. Bright colored frogs, like poison dart frogs, are very easy to see and warn predators that they are toxic. Green and brown colored frogs and toads are camouflaged so that predators have a hard time finding them. Toads have additional survival techniques as well, they can puff themselves up so that they are too large to swallow and can even secrete a toxin from behind their eyes making them incredibly yucky tasting.
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| Wood Frog, Image © Sharon Hosko |
Unfortunately the future survival of many of the world's frog and toad species is uncertain. Keep reading to find out why amphibians are disappearing and how you can help!
