Is it a Frog or Is it a Toad?

Hello Friends!

Is it really that time for another blog? Wow! Time has flown.

In this blog, we will dive in and learn about frogs and toads and how to tell that critter you find is a frog or if it is a toad. Below is a little test to see if you know which is which.

Frog or Toad? (answer will be posted at the end of the blog)

Photo by ME. 

Frog or Toad? (answer will be posted at the end of the blog)

Photo by ME.

Frogs and Toads are pretty cool animals and are fairly well known to people. Between Kermit the Frog ( yes, he is a muppet, but still he is iconic) and chasing toads around the yard as kids, to stories, fairy tales and myths that have been written or told about them. One way or the other, they have caught many people's attention.

Let's take a closer look at these neat animals and see what they are all about!

Southern Leopard Frog. Photo by ME. 

So, both frogs and toads are amphibians, which if you remember from the last blog post, it means "both lives." They have an aquatic, larval stage. As well as a land, adult stage. There are some salamanders that are totally aquatic and some that are totally land dwelling and they are amphibians, so not all amphibians have both land and water stages, but a lot of them do.  They, frogs and toads, go through metamorphosis, They are also cold-blooded or as we learned in a past blog, ectothermic.

Pictured below are Frog and Toad eggs. (Top are Frog eggs. They are typically laid in a mass, clump) (Below are Toad eggs. They are typically laid in a string.)

Frog eggs. Photo by ME

Toad eggs. Photo by ME. 

In addition to being "cute" and interesting, frogs and toads do play an important role. According to The Frogs and Toads of North Carolina: Field Guide and Recorded Calls, authors Michael E. Dorcas, Steven J. Price, Jefferey C. Beane, and Sarah Cross Owen write: "Frogs and toads play important roles in natural ecosystems, They consume countless insects and other invertebrates,..Frogs and toads, in turn, serve as an important food source for many fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals." Some larger species of frogs, like bullfrogs, will eat other frogs, small reptiles, and other, larger prey items.

Cane Toad (Not found in NC). Photo by Me.

In regards to what is the difference between a frog and toad, well, you might be surprised that they are not significantly different from each other. In fact, according to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, authors: Jeffrey C. Beane, Alvin L. Braswell, Joseph C. Mitchell, William M. Palmer, and Julian R. Harrison III writes: "There are no concise differences between frogs and toads. In general, the term "toad" pertains to the shorter-legged species..."  Pretty wild, isn't?

So there are no huge differences between frogs and toads. However, there are some clues to look for in identifying them. Mostly it is that toads have the short-legs. They are also a bit chunkier and warty looking. Their skin is a bit drier than frogs too, though some frogs can look a bit dry and bumpy to some extent, such as Gray and Cope Gray Treefrogs.

Cope's Gray Treefrog. Note the bumpy looking skin. Not quite as bumpy or warty as a toad's. Photo by ME.  

Another clue to watch for is that according to the Peterson Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern/ Central North America, authors Roger Conant and Joseph T. Collins write: "The typical toad...has a warty skin and short legs for hopping, and the typical frog... has a relatively smooth skin and long legs for leaping..."

So toads tend to hop, while frogs tend to leap.


Contrary to popular myths, you will not get warts from handling toads. You still will want to wash your hands after handling though, if you even need to handle the animal at all. You can find toads a bit farther away from a water source and in a bit drier habitats. They do still need water to lay their eggs in and to drink. While frogs tend to hang around places closer to water sources.

Really, reading up on frogs and toads will be your best tool in identifying frogs and toads as they are pretty similar. There are a lot good sources out there,

Pictured below is an American Toad.

American Toad. Photo by ME

Frogs can be found away from water, but not quite as far as toads. They have moist skin so try not to handle them as much as you can as the oils and such on your skin can harm them.

Green Frog. Photo by ME. 

Between researching for this blog and attending an amphibians workshop a few years ago, which I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about these animals. As well as learning from other herp people, I have learned a lot. It's interesting how very similar frogs and toads are!

Earlier on I mentioned that there are four species of toads in NC. And there are two other amphibians that are called toads but are not in the same genus and are quite unique. Here they are!

First up...

The Eastern Spadefoot Toad.

Eastern Spadefoot Toad. Photo from Internet.

As you can see. the eastern spadefoot toad is a really neat and unique toad. It is in a different genus that the other toads we have in NC. I won't get into that too much, as I want to encourage you to do some research on your own.

This toad is called the spadefoot toad because "On the back of each hind food, the eastern spadefoot has a black, sickle-shaped structure ( the "spade") that helps the toad dig backwards." (The Frogs and Toads of North Carolina:Field Guide and Recorded Calls.)

Pretty neat, huh? Look up the picture of their "spades", they are neat. Again, I want to encourage for you to discover for yourself.

Look for the yellowish coloration (though their could be an individual lacking it, but in general, the yellow is a good clue to look for). Also, they are some what bugged eyed, they are more distinctive than the other toads.
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They like habitats with loose soil or sand and that has places they can breed in and has plenty of food items.

Range of E. Spadefoot Toad in NC. Photo from Herpsofnc.org

And finally. here is the other "toad"

The Eastern Narrowmouth Toad.

Eastern Narrowmouth Toad. Photo by ME.

Eastern Narrowmouth Toad. Photo by ME.

As you can see by the photos, these "toads" are quite unique and funny looking. They do not look like your typical toad, do they?

Well, remember, toads and frogs are pretty similar. So, these critters are called toads. They are rather distinctive amphibians. This toad is described as "...a small, plump toad with a small triangular-shaped head and a tiny mouth. The limbs are short and the toes lack webbing..." (The Frogs and Toads of North Carolina:Field Guide and Recorded Calls.)

So look for the small, plump size and the triangle-like head. They are small too.

They eat various insects, including ants and termites!

They have a unique call, that sounds like sheep bleating. Look it up when you can, it's cool!

And, their eggs are cool too as "packets of eggs are laid on the surface of the water..." (Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia.)

E. Narrowmouth Toad Eggs. Photo by ME.

Below is the range of the eastern narrowmouth toad in NC.

Photo from Herpsofnc.org

So, North Carolina has some really neat amphibians. Frogs and Toads are pretty similar but learning more about them and checking out a field guide can help you identify them.

 I hope you learned something about frogs and toads and how cool they are. If you want to learn more, check out your local science museum, library, or even browse on the internet. Again, feel free to ask me any questions you might have,

The answer to the challenge at the beginning is that the top is a Cane Toad and the bottom is an American Bullfrog.  




*I do want to note too, that the photos and such I get off the internet, I intend for educational purposes and they are not taken or such by me.*


I will end this post with a few more frog and toad pictures.

Little Grass Frog. Very small species of frog. Photo by ME.

Upland Chorus Frog. Photo by ME. 

Cane Toad (Not found in NC) Photo by ME.