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Introduction To The Anura |
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Tennessee is home to 21 species of frogs and toads. What is the difference between a frog and toad?
In general, frogs have smooth moist skin, can jump very well, and usually are found close to a water source even as adults.
Toads have dry warty skin, make short hops, and may be found far from water as adults. However, technically toads are frogs!
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Frog Skin
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Toad Skin
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| Frogs and toads belong to the group of animals known as amphibians. Amphibians are the class of vertebrate animals containing the Anura (frogs and toads), Urodeles or Caudata (salamanders and sirens), and the lesser known Gymnophiona (caecilians) which do not occur in North America.
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| Amphibians are ectothermic (cold-blooded), have smooth porous skin, primarily fertilize their eggs externally and do not have a hard shell or membrane around the eggs.
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Photo by John White Frog Eggs
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Photo by Dennis Desmond Toad Eggs
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| The word amphibian comes from the Greek language and means "dual life." This refers to the lifestyle practiced by many amphibians. The adults are primarily terrestrial (land-dwelling) and the larva (tadpoles) are mainly aquatic (live in water). | ||||
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For more information about frogs and toads check out:
Amphibian Declines ||
Anuran
Life Cycle
The Frogs and Toads of Tennessee ||
Tennessee
Amphibian Monitoring Program |
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Updated March 22, 2002 |
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