Sorting the Toads From the Frogs
If you have determined that your animal is an amphibian (due to its soft, smooth, or warty, possibly moist skin) and it has legs, and it lacks a tail the you know you're dealing with a toad or a frog.
To distiguish between frogs and toads, you can look at their skin:
Rough, dry, warty skin - Image A
Smooth, moist skin, no warts - Image B
If the animal you're identifying has rough, dry, warty skin, you've got a toad. If, on the other hand, it has smooth, moist skin and no warts, it's a frog.
Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
- Phylum: Chordata (vertebrates)
- Class: Amphibia (amphibians)
- Order: Anura (frogs and toads)
Sources
- Photos © Wesley Aston (A) and Shutterstock.com (B).
- O'Shea, M. and T. Halliday. 2001. Reptiles and Amphibians. London: Dorling Kindersley.
