Frogs and Toads: The Differences

For a frog to be a frog, it has to part of the the Ranidae family, otherwise it is a toad and belongs to the Bufonidae family.

The following will highlight the characteristics of toads and frogs and also their differences. Frog's legs are long and strong with webbed feet and have been adapted for jumping and swimming. However, toads have shorter stubbier legs for walking instead of jumping. As frogs like moist conditions a lot of the time, their skin is very slimy and smooth. A toad's skin is much drier and very warty because toads like a drier environment. Frogs lay their eggs in a group or cluster, but toads lay their eggs in a link or chain and in some species of toad, like the Genera Nectophrynoides, they give birth to live young.

There are over 400 species of frogs and frogs can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Over 300 species of toads can be found globally and toads are found nearly everywhere across the world except Australia, Madagascar, Polar Regions and Polynesia. 

A few different species of frogs include: bullfrogs, green frogs, leopard frogs and wood frogs. Different species of toad include: boreal toads, red spotted toads, rocky mountain toads and common Indian toads.