Frogs and Toads: Tell Them Apart | Frogs and Toads: Tell Them Apart

Many people tend to get frogs and toads mixed up. They can't seem to tell the difference between the two. However alike they are, there are about the same number of differences.

Frogs can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours, and textures. Frogs have relatively smooth, moist skin and they spend most of their lives in or near the water. A frog's pupils can come in different shapes and sizes. Some frogs have triangular or even star-shaped pupils. Their eye colour also varies. Their eyes can be brown, green, silver, red, bronze or gold. Some frogs have sticky padding on their feet while others have webbed feet. Some can adjust their colour according to light, moisture, temperature or even mood. As you can see, not all frogs are similar.

Toads also vary in shape, size, and texture but not as much in colour. Toads are plump creatures with rough, warty skin. They too spend most of their time in wet, moist places. They are found all across the world, including in dry environments. While a toad's pupils can be different shapes, sizes, and colours, they are usually a small, black oval shape. Their feet are generally webbed. Toads are born camouflaged in colour, shape, and texture. Most cannot change their colour, but they are excellent in hiding. Their skin looks like mud, pebbles or leaves. Often toads come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures.

Frogs usually use the same method to catch their food and also eat the same food. They have a ridge of very small cone teeth, called maxillary teeth, around the upper edge of the jaw. The teeth are used to hold the prey so that the frog can swallow its food whole. They also use their long tongues to catch the food. They eat bugs and worms and sometimes other frogs. Therefore, frogs generally eat the same way and food as other frogs.

Toads are similar to other toads as they both catch their food and eat their food in the same way. They do not have teeth, so they swallow their food whole. Instead of using teeth they have a tiny tongue and they use their mouth to grab food. They basically stalk their prey like a cat. They eat bugs, worms, and other toads. Evidently, you can see that toads eat similarly to each other.

Frogs tend to be very different in some ways, but alike in others and it all depends on the species. They can live anywhere from one year to forty years. Frogs lay their eggs in masses, which develop into tadpoles and then into frogs. In the winter they hibernate by digging deep into the ground to avoid freezing. In the summer they need to stay wet in order to absorb water through their skin. Snakes, lizards, birds, hedgehogs, and fish all feed on frogs depending on their size. Therefore, you can see that frogs differ depending on the species.

Toads are also very similar yet very different. It too depends on the species of toad and the habitat in which they live. They generally live for four to five years, but there are records of toads that have lived for forty years. Toads tend to lay their eggs in long chains. They can also lay sixty to one thousand eggs at any one time. These eggs will develop into tadpoles and then into toads. They hibernate in the winter by digging deep into the mud to prevent freezing. Since they cannot drink water, they need to stay wet in order to absorb the water. Their enemies include snakes, lizards, birds, mammals such as hedgehogs, fish, and even other toads. You can see that toads are alike but also very different in certain ways.

In conclusion, frogs and toads are very alike but they are also very different. They vary in shape, size, colour, texture, and camouflage/enemy prevention technique. Hopefully, after people have read this, they will no longer get frogs and toads confused.