Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: Karen W. on 10/02/2009 08:02:16

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: Karen W. on 10/02/2009 08:02:16

Well! I have always wondered?

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: dentstudent on 10/02/2009 08:23:09

IIRC, toads are part of the frog family, and so are not a separate species.

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: Don_1 on 10/02/2009 08:50:42

As DS say's, they are essentially the same.

Frogs tend to prefer more moist habitats than toads and secrete more slime to protect their skin from drying. Toads have a stubbier body and tend to lay strings of spawn, though not allways. Frogs have a more streamlined body and lay spawn in clumps.

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: Karen W. on 10/02/2009 08:55:16

The toads we get here like to get under the house and then are really loud under the hallway steps they are about 8 to 10 inches across the back and are huge! Usually a algae kind of green grey in color.. pretty dark colored.. really fat fellows.. Are their female toads or are they both male and female rolled into one.. I forget the term.. sorry!

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: dentstudent on 10/02/2009 08:59:48

Hermaphrodite? No, they're not. There are both sexes, but, some of them do have the capacity to change sex according to the environmetal conditions.

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: Karen W. on 10/02/2009 09:10:31

OOH Thats interesting which ones? Thanks Stuart!

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: blakestyger on 10/02/2009 12:05:57

Quote from: dentstudent on 10/02/2009 08:23:09

IIRC, toads are part of the frog family, and so are not a separate species.

So not the case. They aren't even in the same family.

Frogs (family Ranidae, 400 spp) are characterised by having smooth slimy skins, long hind legs for hopping and laying eggs in clusters. Toads, (family Buffonidae, 300 spp) on the other hand have drier warty skins, shorter hind legs for walking and lay eggs in strings. There are also skeletal differences in the chest cartilage.

To be fair, the differences in some cases are blurred and some species share characteristics of both. Eventually, it will become clearer when all their genomes have been sequenced.

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: dentstudent on 10/02/2009 12:15:15

Kingdom Animalia (animals)
Phylum Chordata (animals with a notochord)
Class Amphibia (amphibians)
Order Anura (frogs and toads)

Family: Many families, including Family Bufonidae (toads), Family Centrolenidae, Family Dendrobatidae (poison dart frogs), Family Discoglossidae, Family Hylidae (tree frogs, etc.), Family Hyperolidae, Family Leptodactylidae, Family Microhylidae, Family Myobatrachidae, Family Pelobatidae, Family Pipidae, Family Pseudidae, Family Ranidae (true frogs), Family Rhacophoridae, Family Rhinophrynidae.


Fair enough, so they are not in the same family, but then by that standard, many frogs are in different families to each other too!

List of Anuran families (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Anuran_families)

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: blakestyger on 10/02/2009 13:20:41

All absolutely right - my original query was with the bit where someone said they were the same species, or rather, not a separate species.

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: neilep on 10/02/2009 14:16:32

Ribbit !!

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: RD on 10/02/2009 21:04:44

Quote from: blakestyger on 10/02/2009 12:05:57

To be fair, the differences in some cases are blurred and some species share characteristics of both.

So not toad-ally different then  [:)]

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: Karen W. on 11/02/2009 03:19:38

Thanks you guys.. those are some good differences...

These great big toads around here.. are sure burly looking critters!

Not very pretty but quite handsome for their species I suppose...
I am just amazed at their size!

Title: Can someone tell me the differences between toads and frogs? Are they cousins?
Post by: Karen W. on 11/02/2009 03:20:43

Quote from: neilep on 10/02/2009 14:16:32

Ribbit !!

CROAK!! CROAK!!