If it looks like a frog, most people I know call it a frog. We all know one when we see it, right?
There are actually some differences between frogs and toads in the real world. Generally speaking, toads are the ones we see hopping around on the ground. Most likely, in our area, it’s a common Fowler’s toad. They’re kind of squatty-looking and have dry and bumpy skin. Toads are more terrestrial, so they’ll be common around the yard, forests and similar dry habitats. They spend most of their time on land, but they can swim if they end up in water.
kAm~? E96 @E96C 92?5[ 7C@8D[ =:<6 EC66 7C@8D 2?5 3F==7C@8D[ 92G6 2 H6EE6C D<:?] %96J’C6 >@C6 4@>>@? 2C@F?5 H6E 2C62D =:<6 A@?5D[ =2<6D @C C:G6CD] $:56 ?@E6i %96J 42? 2=D@ ;F>A 6I46AE:@?2==J =@?8 5:DE2?46D 4@>A2C65 E@ E@25D] k^Am
kAmx? E96 7:D9:?8 H@C=5[ E96C6’D 2 5:776C6?46 36EH66? 7C@8D 2?5 E@25D E@@] qFE :E G2C:6D 7C@> E96 3:@=@8:42= A6CDA64E:G6] u:D9:?8 92D :ED @H? E6C>:?@=@8:6D E92E 56G6=@A 2D 2?8=6CD 92G6 4@?G6CD65 @G6C E:>6] (96? EH@ 6IA6C:6?465 2?8=6CD 2C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE 42E49:?8 7:D9 @? 2 7C@8[ :E’D FDF2==J C676CC:?8 E@ 2 9@==@H\3@5:65 7C@8] k^Am
kAmw@==@H\3@5:65 7C@8D 2C6[ 2D E96 ?2>6 :>A=:6D[ >256 7C@> 2 E@F896C[ CF336CJ A=2DE:4 E92E 42? E2<6 2 =@E @7 23FD6 @G6C E:>6] %96 =68D 2C6 FDF2==J CF336C @C D:=:4@?6 DEC2?5D 92?8:?8 @77 E96 324<] %96 36DE 6I2>A=6D H@F=5 36 E96 @C:8:?2= $4F> uC@8[ $?28 !C@@7 7C@8D @C $!#~ 7C@8D] %96C6 2C6 A=6?EJ >@C6 4@>A2?:6D E92E >2<6 9@==@H\3@5:65 7C@8D[ 3FE E96D6 2C6 D@>6 @7 E96 @C:8:?2=D E92E >@DE A6@A=6 C64@8?:K6] k^Am
kAmw@==@H\3@5:65 7C@8D[ @C “7C@8D” :? 7:D9:?8 E6C>D[ FDF2==J 92G6 2 AC6\C:8865 5@F3=6 9@@< E92E A2DD6D E9C@F89 E96 3@5J] %96 EH@ 9@@< A@:?ED C6DE 7=FD9 282:?DE E96 E@A @7 2 CF336CJ 3@5J H:E9 2 =:?6 E:6 AC@ECF5:?8 7C@> E96 ?@D6] %9:D :D E96 F=E:>2E6 D?28=6DD 32:EP %96J 42? 36 7:D965 E9C@F89 2C62D =:<6 >2EE65 563C:D[ 8C2DD[ @C D4F> H:E9@FE 92?8:?8] (96? 562=:?8 H:E9 56?D6[ >2EE65 4@G6C E96C6’D @?=J EH@ H2JD E@ 2EE24< :Ei 3J AF?49:?8 E9C@F89 H:E9 2 962GJ %6I2D C:8 @C H:E9 2 7C@8] %96 3=@H\FAD @? 2 7C@8 2C6 255:4E:G6] p?5 E96J =625 E@ D@>6 3:8 7:D9 42E496D] k^Am
kAm%96 25G2?E286 @7 E96 7C@8 :D 36:?8 23=6 E@ E9C@H :E AC6EEJ >F49 2?JH96C6 H:E9@FE 92?8:?8 FA] q642FD6 :E 7=@2ED[ :E 42? 36 7:D965 G6CJ D=@H=J[ 6G6? H2=<65 :? @?6 DA@E E@ 5C2H 2 DEC:<6] %96 5:D25G2?E286 42? 36 9@@<\FA C2E:@] u@C @?6[ E96 7:D9 @7E6? 3=@H E9C@F89 >2EE65 4@G6C E@ 86E :E] tG6? :? >@C6 @A6? H2E6C[ E96 9@@<D 42? >:DD :7 E96 7:D9 5@6D?’E E2<6 E96 32:E H6==] k^Am
kAmqC2:565 =:?6 :D 2 >FDE H:E9 7C@8D] xE E2<6D 2 A@H6C7F= 9@@<D6E E@ =2?5 E96 EH@ =2C86 9@@<D @? 2 9@==@H 7C@8] qC2:5 92D 2=>@DE ?@ DEC6E49 4@>A2C65 E@ @E96C 7:D9:?8 =:?6D[ 2?5 E92E >2<6D 2 9F86 5:776C6?46 :? 86EE:?8 2 8@@5 9@@<D6E H:E9 2 7C@8] p 962GJ 24E:@? C@5 42? 96=A H:E9 E96 9@@<D6E 2D H6==[ 3FE :E’D ?@E 2 >FDE 2D =@?8 2D E96 32:E :D C:8865 @? 2 3C2:5] k^Am
kAmx? E96 7:D9:?8 H@C=5[ E@25D 2C6 5:776C6?E 7C@> 7C@8D] %@25D 7@C 7:D9:?8 2C6 >256 7C@> D@7E A=2DE:4[ =:<6 A=2DE:4 H@C>D 2?5 =:K2C5D] %96J 92G6 2 D@=:5 3@5J H:E9 =68D E92E <:4< E96 DFC7246 FD:?8 A255=6 @C DH:>>:?8 766E] %96 62C=:6DE E@25D x C6>6>36C H6C6 E96 @=5 wU2>Ajw @C $:K>:4 %@25] %@25D 3642>6 >@C6 >2:?DEC62> H96? E96 $E2?=6J #:3:E 2?5 +@@> w@C?J %@25 9:E E96 >2C<6ED] {:<6 7C@8D[ >2?J 4@>A2?:6D 2=D@ @776C E@25D ?@H] |J A6CD@?2= 72G@C:E6 :D E96 }6E32:E qu %@25 E92E 92D q2:E7F6= :? E96 A=2DE:4]k^Am
kAm%@25D 2C6 C2C6=J AC6\C:8865] %96J’== 4@>6 :? 2 A24<286 =:<6 2 328 @7 A=2DE:4 H@C>D 3642FD6 E96J’C6 ?@E 2D 5FC23=6 2D 2 9@==@H\3@5:65 7C@8] %96J 2C6 56D:8?65 E@ 36 C:8865 @? 2 D:?8=6 9@@< @7 E96 2?8=6C’D 49@:46] p=E9@F89 E96J 42? 36 %6I2D C:8865 H:E9 2 D>2== H6:89E[ >@DE @7E6? E96J 2C6 %6I\C:8865 @? 2 =2C86 D:?8=6 9@@< H:E9 ?@ H6:89E] %9:D 2==@HD E96> E@ A@A E@ E96 DFC7246 2?5 DH:> 4C62E:?8 2 3FKK\32:E =:<6 EC2:= E9C@F89 E96 H2E6C] k^Am
kAmx G:6H E@25D =:<6 2 3FKK32:E E92E x 42? D<:A @C E9C@H :? A=246D 2 3FKK32:E H@F=5?’E 36 23=6 E@ 8@] p=E9@F89 ?@E BF:E6 2D D?28=6DD[ E96J 42? 36 7:D965 @G6C 2?5 6G6? E9C@F89 56?D6 4@G6C =:<6 32?< 8C2DD @C >2EE65 H@@5] %96J 42? 2=D@ 36 FD65 2D 2 >@C6 DF3E=6 G6CD:@? @7 2 3FKK32:E :? @A6? H2E6C] tG6? :7 C:8865 H6:89E=6DD[ 2 E@25 H:== D:?< D=@H=J 2E C6DE] xE’D :>A@CE2?E E@ <66A :E >@G:?8 7@C :E E@ <:4< E96 DFC7246]k^Am
kAmqC2:565 =:?6 7@C E96 E@25 :D ?@E 2 >FDE[ 3FE x’5 D2J :E’D AC676C23=6] c^_ @C d^_ 7=:AA:?8 9@@<D H@C< H6== H:E9 2 E@25 @? 3C2:565 =:?6] r=62C H2E6C >2J C6BF:C6 7=F@C@42C3@? @C >@?@7:=2>6?E =:?6D :7 E96 7:D9 2C6 24E:?8 “=:?6 D9J” H:E9 E96 3:E6] x? E92E 42D6[ 2 C68F=2C H:C6 c^_ t(v DEJ=6 9@@< 42? =625 E@ >@C6 9@@<FAD] x? 3@E9 42D6D[ FD6 2E =62DE 2 >65:F> 962GJ 24E:@? C@5] p 962GJ 24E:@? :D AC676C23=6[ 3FE 42DE:?8 244FC24J 42? DF776C D@>6 5F6 E@ H6:89E=6DD C:88:?8] k^Am
kAmx? >J @A:?:@?[ 3@E9 7C@8D 2?5 E@25D C6BF:C6 2 A2FD6 @? E96 9@@<D6E 7@==@H:?8 2 DEC:<6] %96 7:D9 ?665 2? 6IEC2 DA=:E D64@?5 E@ E2<6 E96 32:E] p7E6C 2 DEC:<6[ 2 8@@5 >62DFC6 E@ 7@==@H :D 2 “@?6 E9@FD2?5 @?6[ @?6 E9@FD2?5 EH@” 4@F?E 367@C6 D6EE:?8 E96 9@@<] %9:D 42? 36 92C5 E@ 5@ 27E6C 2 G:4:@FD 3=@H\FA 3FE H:== =625 E@ 2 >F49 9:896C 9@@<\FA C2E:@] ~?6 E:A E92E 96=A65 >6 62C=J @? H2D E6249:?8 >JD6=7 E@ A@:?E E96 C@5 H96? x 962C5 E96 3=@H\FA C2E96C E92? E96 ?@C>2= C624E:@? E@ =62? 324<] k^Am
kAmq@E9 7C@8D 2?5 E@25D 42? 36 67764E:G6 DFC7246 32:ED E9:D E:>6 @7 J62C] %96:C 23:=:EJ E@ 36 7:D965 @G6C[ F?56C @C E9C@F89 56?D6 4@G6C AC@G:5:?8 D9256 :? E96 D92==@HD >2<6D E96> 2 8C62E 49@:46 :? 9@E H62E96CPk^Am
