Q&A for How to Tell the Difference Between a Frog and a Toad

Return to Full Article

Coming soon

Add New Question

Question

Is it a frog or toad in my pond?

Audra Barrios
Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist
Audra Barrios is a Marine Biologist and owner of Lick Your Eyeballs, a business offering experiemces, reptiles, supplies and plants. With over 15 years of experience, Audra specializes in reptiles and exotic animals, environmental education, marine biology, conservation issues, and animal husbandry. Audra earned a BASc in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and studied Natural Sciences at the College of Marin. She is the founder and Executive Director of Things That Creep, a non-profit dedicated to herptile conservation through education. She has spent the last nine years working as a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences.

Audra Barrios

Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist

Expert Answer

Generally, frogs need to be near water, while toad's are just fine on land. Frogs are more likely to be around a pond, but it's still a good idea to examine the appearance and behavior of the amphibian to be sure.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 4
Question

What is the most obvious difference between a toad and a frog?

Audra Barrios
Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist
Audra Barrios is a Marine Biologist and owner of Lick Your Eyeballs, a business offering experiemces, reptiles, supplies and plants. With over 15 years of experience, Audra specializes in reptiles and exotic animals, environmental education, marine biology, conservation issues, and animal husbandry. Audra earned a BASc in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and studied Natural Sciences at the College of Marin. She is the founder and Executive Director of Things That Creep, a non-profit dedicated to herptile conservation through education. She has spent the last nine years working as a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences.

Audra Barrios

Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist

Expert Answer

Check the texture of the skin. Frog skin is smooth, while toad skin is bumpy.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 3
Question

What do toads look like?

Audra Barrios
Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist
Audra Barrios is a Marine Biologist and owner of Lick Your Eyeballs, a business offering experiemces, reptiles, supplies and plants. With over 15 years of experience, Audra specializes in reptiles and exotic animals, environmental education, marine biology, conservation issues, and animal husbandry. Audra earned a BASc in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and studied Natural Sciences at the College of Marin. She is the founder and Executive Director of Things That Creep, a non-profit dedicated to herptile conservation through education. She has spent the last nine years working as a biologist at the California Academy of Sciences.

Audra Barrios

Marine Biologist & Reptile Specialist

Expert Answer

Toads tend to have wordy, bumpy skin and you'll likely find them on land.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 4
Question

If I see toads or frogs hanging around, should I be worried about snakes?

Community Answer

It's possible, yes. Snakes typically enjoy the moist environments that toads or frogs may frequent.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 8 Helpful 40
Question

Can I keep a pet toad?

Community Answer

Yes, you can. I would recommend reading through wikiHow's article on caring for toads first though.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 6 Helpful 39
Question

Can toads be green, or are they always brown?

Community Answer

Toads can be green! Although they are usually depicted as brown, some species, such as the western green toad, are green.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 25 Helpful 117
Question

Can toads stay in water for a long time?

Community Answer

Toads can stay in water for extended periods, but they primarily live outside of water. A frog is more likely to stay in water for long periods.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 24 Helpful 87
Question

What do frogs eat?

Community Answer

They mostly eat bugs that would be by a lake, such as lake flies and small dragonflies.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 24 Helpful 86
Question

How many chambers are in a frog's heart?

Marlsbad

Community Answer

Three: two atria and one ventricle.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 23 Helpful 88
Question

Is it possible to place frogs and toads in the same habitat?

Community Answer

It's possible, but doesn't really make sense. Frogs prefer an environment with a lot of water, and toads like areas with just a little water and more dry spots.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 20 Helpful 85
Question

If a I catch a baby toad can I keep it in a pickle jar?

Community Answer

You shouldn't, because toads need more space than a pickle jar provides.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 26 Helpful 94
Question

Can toads rejuvenate a limb?

Community Answer

Toads cannot regrow limbs. You should take a toad with a broken or missing limb to a wildlife rescue center.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 18 Helpful 66
Question

Yesterday, I saw something that looked like a toad. I have no pond in my house. Should I make a small body of water in the garden?

Community Answer

If you find a toad hanging around, that probably means there's water not too far away. You don't have to, but it won't hurt to have a little extra water nearby.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 22 Helpful 80
Question

Do toads and frogs lay eggs in the same way?

Community Answer

Yes, they both lay their eggs in the water.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 15
Question

How do tadpoles breathe?

Community Answer

Tadpoles have gills like fish. When they metamorphose into frogs or toads, their gills turn into lungs.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 20 Helpful 59
Question

Are toad's eyes smaller than that of a frog?

Community Answer

Yes. A toad's eyes are lower down than the eyes of a frog, and football shaped.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 15
Question

How and where do frogs hibernate?

Community Answer

Usually underground. They like it where it’s damp and not too cold. If you want to find a frog, I’d recommend digging about 5 feet away from a pond, or if it’s spring, try looking for a vernal pool.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 9
Question

How do frogs and toads breathe?

Community Answer

When they are tadpoles and live in the water, they breathe through gills that pull out the oxygen from the water. As they start living on land, they develop lungs and breathe through their nose.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 7
Question

How do frogs and toads excrete waste?

Community Answer

The same with most animals: in one way, out the other. Toads have a tiny slit-like thing for urine and a bit by where a tail should go for feces.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 9
Question

What is the difference in the sounds that toads and frogs make?

Community Answer

The toad has a deeper pitched croak and the frog has a higher pitched croak, that's the essential difference.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 8
Question

Is there a spray or soap to clean wild toads with? I want one for a pet because my mum won't buy me one.

Kori Bustard

Community Answer

No. A toad is a toad. It might be dirty. If there's dirt or something on it, let it swim in water that has no chemicals in it to wash off. Wash your hands before and after handling the toad.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 9
Question

Do frogs and toads mate with each other?

Community Answer

No, frogs and toads do not mate with each other.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 11 Helpful 23
Question

What do toads do to breathe when in water?

Hannah Suvar

Community Answer

Toads do this by absorbing oxygen through their skin while underwater. Toads still breathe air, but they typically hold their breath anywhere between 4 and 7 hours!

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 5
Question

Can a frog and toad mate with each other?

kingbooglyboo read3r

Community Answer

Normally when frogs and toads share the same pond, their mating occurs at different times. However, occasionally a late coming frog may turn up on the toad dating scene. You may see them trying to mate each other, but the union will be sterile.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 5
Question

Why are frog eggs laid in gelatinous fluid?

Community Answer

To protect the eggs. When the time comes and the tadpoles hatch, they eat the fluid give them nutrients and their first meal.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2
Question

Would a toad or a frog be attracted to snakes?

Community Answer

No, I think it would be the other way around. Snakes hunt and feed on toads and frogs.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3
Question

How long does a frog live compared to a toad?

Community Answer

It depends on the species you are talking about.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 4
Question

Will frogs and toads attack each other?

Community Answer

Often times, yes, but it really depends on the temperaments of the individual animals, so it's impossible to say for sure.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 4 Helpful 4
Question

How can I tell a tadpole from mosquito larva?

Community Answer

Well a tadpole is a lot bigger and normally has a black, brown, or green body depending on the type.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 3 Helpful 2
Question

Do frogs change color?

FutureHow

Community Answer

Some frogs can change color such as Cope's gray tree frog, it can change from green to gray and back again.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1