One feature of amphibians reproduction is that almost all frogs fertilize externally, but the sperm is deposited on the egg as it is laid, with the male frog holding onto the female with his front legs in a sex-like manner. There are some variations on this – frogs without front legs have to add the sperm after the egg is laid, and the narrow-mouthed frogs become glued together during fertilization. With the North American Tailed frog, it is the frogs tail itself which is inserted into female cloaca.

Eggs
Most amphibians lay their eggs (oviparous) rather than store them in their body (viviparous). Frogs lay between one and 25,000 eggs at a time, depending on the species, with salamanders up to a few dozen. The method of laying eggs varies from clusters, to strands, but common to all is the slimy coating that protects them. Of the amphibians that give birth to fully-formed young most are viviparous.

The eggs of amphibians reproduction are laid in all sorts of places, with each species selecting a preferred site from a range including: still water, running water, under rocks, under leaves, in the stem of plants, and mud homes build by the male.

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A lot of folks come to this page after searching for “what is the difference between frogs and toads” or “difference between frog and toad,” well here we pull back the curtain on the world of amphibians to establish the truth behind the frog toad difference – there isn’t one.

Now then, now then, perhaps saying there isn’t one is a bit of a simplification so let’s take a more detailed look.

Scientifically speaking…
For an accurate scientific answer we need to consider how animals are classified. Firstly, there is a class of animal known as “amphibian” which has three orders, one of these orders is “anura.”

Anura is made up of what are commonly known as frogs and toads, but scientifically there is no distinction between the two, instead there are 20-25 families within anura each with its own characteristics.

Of these 20 or so families, the bufonidae family has around 300 species with the characteristics that we consider to be toad-like. Scientists, however, focus on the distinct characteristics of each of the 20 or so families, and don’t focus on the differences between the bufonidae and other families.

Practically speaking…
There are some physical differences that have led to us having the separate terms frog and toad, one that is clear for all to see is that frogs are beautiful, and toads are ugly!

Frogs have smooth skin, long limbs, and like to live near the water, whereas toads are stumpy-bodied, short-legged creatures, have a skin rough with warts, and prefer damp climates away from water. The difference between frog and toad is that the princess would never have kissed a toad!

Whilst some frogs are poisonous to touch, it is toads that are renowned for having pockets of poison behind their eyes. Furthermore, a toad’s eyes tend to be quite withdrawn when compared to the bulbous eyes of a frog. When it comes to reproduction frogs lay their eggs in clusters, whilst toads lay their eggs in a long string.

Finally, if one wants a clever answer to the question “what is the difference between frog and toad?” look no further than Nectophrynoides – a type of toad found in Tanzania. This toad is the only one of the anura to be viviparous i.e. fertilization is internal, and the females give birth to live young. Now that’s something that no frog can do, unless of course you are scientist that uses the generic term “frog” to include the bufonidae family!

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