Midwest Mary

Buffalo or bison? Bee or wasp? Frog or toad?

We often confuse the two and name them incorrectly. However, there are differences.

When we consider frogs and toads, we can call a toad a frog, but we can’t call all frogs toads. Toads are a subspecies of frogs, which means they are one of many types of frogs.

Frogs and toads are amphibians belonging to the order Anura. There are about 400 species of frogs, and they belong to the family Ranidae. There are about 300 species of toads, and they are members of the family Bufonidea.

Toads are different than most frogs in that they have less bulge in their eyes, no teeth, and thicker, bumpier, and drier skin. True frogs have long legs for jumping while toads have shorter legs, stout bodies, and warts containing glands. In addition, toads have four unwebbed toes in the front and five webbed toes on their hind legs.

Frogs live mostly in the water. Toads can be found near the water, especially during mating season, and most often on land. It’s not unusual to find them in forests or gardens helping us with insect control.

American toads produce a poisonous fluid that tastes bad to predators and can kill small animals. Although they aren’t lethal to humans, they can irritate our eyes and mucous membranes and cause an allergic reaction. If we handle toads, we should keep our hands away from our faces and wash our hands thoroughly afterward.

We have many types of frogs in America, but only two species of toads in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, only one of those species, the American toad, lives in the Chicago area where I live.

While strolling through Anderson Japanese Gardens last week, I inquired about the loud noises we were hearing and learned they were the calls of the American Toad. The amphibians weren’t difficult to spot as they were scattered along the waterways preparing to mate and lay eggs.

Toads breed in the spring. The males are said to sing with a distinct call to defend their territory and attract a mate. I’m not sure their call qualifies as a song. However, I was intrigued by watching their vocal sacs inflate as they prepared to send their message.

You can listen to the call of the American toad here:

Toads fertilize eggs externally. Once two toads pair, the couple scoots into the water. The male holds on to the female while she lays between 4,000 to 8,000 eggs in two rows and the male releases sperm over the eggs to fertilize them.

Within 3-12 days, eggs hatch into tadpoles with tails and gills. The tadpoles feed on plants and grow for 40-70 days forming legs. Then the gills disappear, the toads begin to breathe air, and their tails are absorbed.

The toads also transition from eating plants to insects and small animals. According to the American Museum of Natural History, since they do not have teeth like other frogs, they catch their prey with long, sticky tongues and swallow it whole,

While still growing, toads shed their skin every couple of weeks. Older frogs lose their skin about four times a year. Their skin peels off in one piece and is then eaten by the toad.

*Photos and sound recording by Mary K. Doyle
American toads

**Here’s an idea for a perfect Mother’s Day gift. Tranquility. Transformation. Transcendence is a peaceful book with 72 beautiful photos and poems.

©2024, Mary K. Doyle