Difference between Frog and Toad
Frog and toad both are amphibians and belong to the same order Anura in the animal kingdom. Although both look similar and belong to the same order, they are different from each other in terms of size, shape and behaviour. Let us see how a frog differs from a toad!
Frog:
A frog is an amphibian that belongs to the order Anura in the animal kingdom. It is slender and athletic in appearance and has a smooth, moist skin and round, bulging eyes. The hind legs of frogs are very long and powerful as they hop more frequently than toads. They jump more often and much higher and far than toads. The length of their hind legs is more than its head and body.
Furthermore, they have webbed feet with sticky pads as they prefer to spend most of their time in the water and thus they are required to be close to water in order to survive. You will not find a frog very far from a source of water.
Frogs are carnivores as they can feed on any small animal that fit into their mouths like bugs, spiders, slugs, larvae, and small fishes. However, the young ones (tadpoles) are herbivorous or omnivorous. They use their long sticky tongue to catch their prey.
Toad:
Toad is an amphibian that belongs to the order Anura in the animal kingdom. It is shorter and stubbier in appearance and has short hind legs as they tend to crawl. Their hind legs are shorter than their heads and rest of the body. The feet of toads are generally not webbed and also lack pads. Unlike frogs, the skin of toads is not smooth, i.e. it is rough, dry and bumpy in appearance. Toads are not required to live near a source of water in order to survive.
Toads take small hops and are not able to jump much higher or very far. They tend to crawl than hop. They are also carnivores, i.e. they feed on different types of small animals or insects like bugs, slugs, spiders, and small fishes. They use their sticky tongue to catch their prey.
Based on the above information, some of the key differences between frog and toad are as follows:
| Frog | Toad |
|---|---|
| It is an amphibian that spends most of its life in water. | It is an amphibian that spends most of its life on land. |
| Their hind limbs are longer and more powerful than toads. They often jump higher and far than toads. | Their hind limbs are shorter and less powerful than frogs. So, they tend to crawl than hop. |
| They have rounder, higher and bulging eyes. | They have lower, football-shaped eyes. |
| Frogs have vomerine teeth in the upper jaw. | They lack teeth. |
| They lay eggs in clusters, young ones live in the water. | They lay eggs in long chains and the young ones live in the water. |
| They have many predators. | They do not have many predators. |
| They need to live near a water body in order to survive. | They do not need to live near a water body in order to survive. |