I've heard that it's ok to feed aros frogs, but not toads. When they're little, what's the easiest way to tell them apart? I live close to a river and during the early parts of summer there are thousands jumping around...I just can't tell if they're frogs or toads. They're maybe an inch in size and are so numerous I'm afraid of stepping on one when I walk through it. Any ideas on if these are frogs? What's the easiest way to tell when they're this size?
frogs vs toads.
- Thread starter Dirty Old Man
- Start date
in general you cant really tell apart a frog from a toad.
WP:
A distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, prompted by the convergent adaptation among so-called toads to dry environments, which often entails a brown skin for camouflage that is also dry and leathery for better water retention. Many so-called toads also burrow, which requires further specific adaptations. However, since these adaptations merely reflect the environment a species has adapted to, they offer no reliable guidance as to what other species it evolved from. Since taxonomy is meant to only reflect these evolutionary relationships, the aforementioned distinction of frogs and toads gives no clue to their classification.
For instance, many members of the families Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and some species from the Microhylidae family are commonly called "toads". However, the only family exclusively given the common name "toad" is Bufonidae, the "true toads". Some "true frogs" of the genus Rana, have also adapted to burrowing habits, while the species within the toad genus Atelopus are conversely known by the common name "harlequin frogs."
WP:
A distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, prompted by the convergent adaptation among so-called toads to dry environments, which often entails a brown skin for camouflage that is also dry and leathery for better water retention. Many so-called toads also burrow, which requires further specific adaptations. However, since these adaptations merely reflect the environment a species has adapted to, they offer no reliable guidance as to what other species it evolved from. Since taxonomy is meant to only reflect these evolutionary relationships, the aforementioned distinction of frogs and toads gives no clue to their classification.
For instance, many members of the families Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and some species from the Microhylidae family are commonly called "toads". However, the only family exclusively given the common name "toad" is Bufonidae, the "true toads". Some "true frogs" of the genus Rana, have also adapted to burrowing habits, while the species within the toad genus Atelopus are conversely known by the common name "harlequin frogs."
In general:
Frogs:
smooth, moist skin ,
no warts on body narrower body. Flatter body live near or in water
longer hind legs for hopping and long swim strokes
webbed hind feet for swimming
Toads:
drier skin, rough
have warts on body
waist broader
shorter hind legs, walks rather than hops
Frogs:
smooth, moist skin ,
no warts on body narrower body. Flatter body live near or in water
longer hind legs for hopping and long swim strokes
webbed hind feet for swimming
Toads:
drier skin, rough
have warts on body
waist broader
shorter hind legs, walks rather than hops
Oddball said it all!
personally, i dont think it is hard to differentiate a frog from a toad...
but thats when uv seen a toad and a frog prior to that.
personally, i dont think it is hard to differentiate a frog from a toad...
but thats when uv seen a toad and a frog prior to that.
Oddball;497823; said:
So do toads have webbed hind feet at all? If so, how about when they're babies (after the complete conversion from a tadpole to a toad)?
And that said, do you think it'd be safe for me to feed my fish the ffrogs/toads I find @ the river? They have light to dark greyish skin with darker spots in various places among them. The skin doesn't seem all that smooth though...
Toads are usually found exiting the pond/stream frogs tend to hang out. If you know what a toad looks like they look like mini toads when just finished their transformation to a toad from tadpole. My parents have a pond in the back and they have millions of the lil buggers exit every year. not too hard to distiguish.
Toad tadpoles are OK to feed to your fish. But, once the tadpoles metamorphose into juvie toads, their skin contains toxin that can harm or kill your fish.
BTW, toads have shorter-toed webbed feet but, their feet are smaller in proportion to their bodies (compared to frogs), and their webbing is shorter and more opaque.
BTW, toads have shorter-toed webbed feet but, their feet are smaller in proportion to their bodies (compared to frogs), and their webbing is shorter and more opaque.
