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Frogs

Hop into the world of frogs

Contrary to popular belief frogs aren’t slimy and toads won’t give you warts. Frogs and toads are amphibians which means that they live on land and in water. There are over 4000 species worldwide, making up around 90% of all species of amphibians. They lay up to 35,000 eggs at a time in fresh water where they hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles are essentially baby frogs but look more like tiny fish. As they grow, they sprout 2 pairs of legs and their tail disappears.

Frogs and toads are cold-blooded and so they rely on the sun for warmth. They eat insects, spiders, small fish, worms and other tiny animals that they catch with their long, sticky tongue.

A group of toads is called a 'knot' and a group of frogs is called an 'army.' They are found all around the world, on all continents except Antarctica and have been around since the time of the dinosaurs hundreds of millions years ago.

Frog and toads are quite different animals but they belong to the same animal group.

Here are some main differences:

Frogs:

Need to live near water
Have smooth, moist skin that makes them look “slimy”
Have a narrow body
Have higher, rounder, bulgier eyes
Have longer hind legs
Take long high jumps
Have many predators

Toads:

Do not need to live near water to survive
Have rough, dry, bumpy skin
Have a wider body
Have lower, football shaped eyes
Have shorter, less powerful hind legs
Will run or take small hops rather than jump
Do not have many predators. Toad’s skin lets out a bitter taste and smell that burns the eyes and nostrils of its predators, much like a skunk does.

Check out frogs and toads on the right of this page and see which ones live around you.

ACTIVITY CODE: 105-1