Frogs and Toads

Frogs and toads are amphibians living between water and land, but have noticeable differences.

Frogs typically have smooth, moist skin and long legs suited for jumping, whereas toads have dry, bumpy skin and shorter legs adapted for walking.

As frogs lose moisture easily through their thin, permeable skin, they tend to stay close to water. In contrast, toads are better adapted to drier environments, though they still return to water to lay eggs.

Both begin life in water as eggs that hatch into tadpoles—tiny, gilled swimmers. As they grow, tadpoles sprout legs, their tails shrink through resorption, and their lungs develop to allow them to breathe air.

As adults, they become skilled insect hunters, snapping up prey with their long, sticky tongues. A frog's tongue is attached to the front of its mouth and can whip out and back in less than a second.

Many frogs have small teeth on their upper jaws for gripping prey, while toads do not have teeth and rely entirely on their tongue and strong jaws.