Toad and Frog are two words that we are familiar with and looks difficult to tell apart. Some people believe the two are used interchangeably, and some think they are different. You must have had this problem of telling the difference between a toad and a frog, or if they are the same. In this post, we should do justice to that, so join me let's explain it in full.
Toad or Frogs are amphibians and the word frog is a word used to describe all animals in the order Anura under the class of amphibians. Anura simply means without a tail and so frog is animals under the order and they do not possess tails. There are other amphibian orders like Urodela and Gymnophiona.
Evolution has taught us that amphibians have been among the oldest of all vertebrate groups and have been around since the devonian period over 300 million years and are decendants of lobe-finned fishes and frogs have been existing since over 250 million years ago with fossils of proto-frogs (the first frog closest parent) seen and dated back to around around 265 million years old. The oldest proto-frog known as Triadobatrachus was found in Madagascar.
Today, Frogs are the most successful amphibian group with well over 7000 species distributed around the world making them the most diverse vertebrate group spread around the world and if you are looking for amphibian species, about 80% of them are frog species. Majority of frog species prefer the tropical zones due to their warm wet climate and this is why there are different species in the Amazon forest but this doesn't mean that they only live in these regions, as they also live in sub-tropical and semi desert regions.
Amphibians are ectothermic and this is why they are not represented properly in colder regions as they need the temperature of the environment to regulate their body temperature such as staying in a warm place to keep themselves warm. Cold-blooded is another word for ectothermic.
At adulthood, all frogs are carnivorous with diet consisting of bugs, flies, crickets, spiders, and moths but some giant frogs can eat fishes and other frogs. They reproduce in places with available water with females laying their eggs in water which later hatches to become tadpoles. Tadpoles are aquatic organisms that survive using their gills to breath and they swim using tails. They are herbivores and Omnivores unlike their parents.
As they grow, their tails start to reduce and their limbs start to form also they become carnivores as their needs increases. Their eyes are located at either side on the top of their head affording them clear sight and almost 360 degrees vision. Some frogs are poisonous like the frogs from the Dendrobatidae family secrete deadly poisons from their skin gland and these frogs are known as dart frogs used by humans to poison enemies when applied to their darts and arrows. They move using their legs with four fingers on their forelegs and five fingers on their hind legs, and are webbed to aid swimming.
All toads are frogs; did you hear that? Most toads belong to the Bufonidae family and a member of the Anura order so, they are one of the numerous families and species of frogs but these hopping animals are covered with wart-like bumps unlike the smooth and wet skin of most frogs. They also have shorter legs so they hop in small distance and crawl but they still do everything just like other frogs but they can survive longer on land than other frog species. Toads that live in places with dry seasons can hid in micro muds and hibernate until the rain comes again.
READ MORE
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2024/02/what-is-the-difference-between-a-frog-and-a-toad/
https://aqua.org/stories/2023-09-27-mistaken-identities-frogs-vs-toads
https://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/difference-frogs-vs-toads
https://www.rekoforest.org/field-stories/six-key-differences-between-frogs-and-toads/
https://senecaparkzoo.org/can-you-tell-the-difference-between-a-frog-and-a-toad
