These two amphibians look very similar at first glance, but you'll notice tell-tale differences when looking closer.

Technically, all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads. Why? They all belong to the order Anura (ancient Greek for "without a tail"), commonly referred to as "frogs". Within this order, there are different families, such as the family bufonidae - all of its members are toads. In the UK, we have two species of each frog and toads, but you'll most likely see common frogs or common toads, so we'll focus on these two. 

Here's what to look out for.

Skin

This is probably the easiest way to tell the two apart. Frogs have smooth and slimy skin with a yellow to brown colour and a distinctive brown patch behind the eyes. Toads' skin is dry and somewhat warty, dry-looking skin with a brownish colour. The slimy look of frogs (they don’t feel slimy!) is caused by the secretion from glands in the skin, which keep it moist and supple. This is extremely important as frogs breathe through their skin as well as through their lungs. Toads do this to a lesser extent. 

Location

If you spot an amphibian making its way along a pavement or ambling through some grass, chances are it’s a toad. In fact, toads spend most of their life away from water and only return to their breeding pond to reproduce. Frogs are rarely seen too far away from water.

Legs

Frogs have long legs which allow them to jump about 20 times their body size. Toads, on the other hand, have much shorter legs and walk or crawl rather than leap. 

Shape

Frogs look slimmer and much more athletic, while toads are somewhat thickset and squat. Frogs also have a pointier face in comparison to a toad's rather broad face. 

Spawn

Their spawn (= eggs) are a good way to determine which species you are looking at. Frog spawn is laid in gooey clumps whereas toad spawn are long strings. 

Like their adult counterparts, frog tadpoles are slimmer whereas toad tadpoles are chunky. Frog tadpoles are also covered in gold flecks, while toad tadpoles are plain black in colour.

Frogs: On hatching, tadpoles are black and will stick together in a writhing mass. As they develop, tadpoles become mottled/brown and do not shoal.

Toads: On hatching, tadpoles are jet black and remain so. Tadpoles often form shoals.

Once hatched, tadpoles take about 14 weeks to transform into tiny frogs.

Toad tadpoles take a little bit longer, becoming toadlets after about four months.

Toad tadpoles behave differently to those of frogs too, swimming in shoals rather than individually. Toad tadpoles are also unpalatable to fish, unlike their froggy relatives.

Sadly, toads and frogs have suffered dramatic declines in the past due to a loss and fragmentation of habitats. You can give your struggling amphibians a hand by building a pond in your garden.

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