Difference Between a Frog and a Toad
One way to tell the difference between a frog and toad is skin texture. The toad tends to have dry, bumpy, and possibly warty skin. The frog conversely has smooth skin. A frog pulled out of the water tends to feel relatively slimy or velvety, depending on whether you’re talking to a fan of frogs. The expression slimy toad really doesn’t make much sense, since toads simply do not feel slimy to the touch.
Animals often discover that biting a toad is highly unpleasant. Dogs frequently mouth toads found in yards and get a dose of poison from the eye region. If one sees a dog bite something on the ground and start foaming at the mouth immediately, chances are he has tried to snack on a toad. Usually this poison is not significant enough to do more than disgust the animal for a few hours.
The toad tends to have a shorter body, and its legs are often described as stubby or muscular. Frogs on the hand tend to have longer legs, and can be distinguished from the toad by their webbed back feet. The frog’s eyes tend to be protuberant. The toad has more recessed eyes.
One type of toad, the nectophrynoides, which is found in Tanzania, can do one thing no frog can do. It bears live young. Most toads, however, lay eggs just like frogs. If one encounters a clutch of frog or toad eggs, one can usually tell them apart by the clustering. Frog eggs are laid in tight circular batches. Toad eggs are usually laid in long strings.