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Frog and Toad Facts

If you’ve ever seen a frog or toad hopping around near your home, you‘ve probably heard that distinct croak they are well known for.

What you may not know is that frogs and toads are quite different from one another, despite being in the same animal group.

If you have ever wondered the difference, we have the facts for you down below!

Read on to learn lots of cool information about frogs and toads, including if they really give you warts – or is that just a silly myth?

Where do they live?

One big difference between frogs and toads is that frogs need to live near water to survive, while toads do not.

Frogs are typically found on all continents of the world (except Antarctica), and like to live in creeks, ponds, swamps, trees, and rainforests.

Toads can live further away from water sources than frogs but can also be found in tropical regions and near water, too.

What do they eat?

When frogs and toads are just tadpoles they have a vegetarian diet, eating mostly algae and forms of bacteria. As they grow older and their nutritional needs change, frogs and toads will begin eating insects, worms, spiders, and even slugs or snails.

Frogs have very tiny teeth in their upper and lower jaw but do not use them for chewing food – instead they swallow their food whole. Toads are similar in this regard.

Frogs do not chase after their prey, but instead wait for it to come to them. Their tongue, which can be up to a third of the length of their body, is used to catch their prey.

What do they look like?

There are many differences in the appearance of frogs and toads. Frogs have smoother, slicker skin than toads do, with less bumps and ridges, giving them an almost slimy appearance.

They also have a narrower body than toads do. Frogs have high and circular bulging eyes while toads typically have lower eyes that are more football-shaped. They also have more powerful and longer legs than toads.

One way to spot the difference between frogs and toads is to watch them jump. Due to their more powerful hind legs, frogs can jump longer and further forward than toads can.

Toads will typically run very quickly or take short hops instead of high jumps.

Fun Facts About Toads & Frogs

Frogs have more predators than toads do despite being larger creatures. This is because the skin of a toad has a bitter taste and smell which can burn the eyes and nostrils of their enemies.

This smell is somewhat similar to that of a skunk.

Some larger frogs eat mice, rats, lizards, snakes, small birds, and even other frogs!

Frogs depend on water for everything from eating to breathing. Frogs do not drink water, but they do absorb it through their skin.

Frogs can make almost a thousand different sounds, some of them actually rather pleasant. That infamous “ribbit” croak is only heard from one type of frog – the Pacific Tree Frog.

Keep in mind there are 4,740 species of frogs out there in the entire world, and 90 in the United States alone!

The particular sound of the Pacific Tree Frog has been used so often in Hollywood movies (even in settings where the Pacific Tree Frog is not commonly found), that so many people mistakenly associate the “ribbit” sound with all types of frogs.

We should be very thankful for these slimy creatures. Frogs and toads are very helpful to use humans because they eat so many harmful insects every year.

You can thank frogs by being kind to environment, recycling, and always throwing away your trash when you’re out in public.

As an added bonus, you will be helping the environment and many other animals that depend on a pollution free world to survive.

Now for the most important fact of all – frogs can’t give you warts! That is simply a myth.

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