A Croaking Toad
>> Nov 20, 2010
I saw this croaking toad several nights ago in our front yard. It’s raining that time. My husband assumed the toad’s sound as an annoyance (he can’t sleep every time he hears it); but I assumed it as one kind of music, hehehe…Are you still confused to see the difference between a frog or a toad? Here’s a little bit information for you:
Frogs (we call it katak)They are members of the family Ranidae, containing more than 400 species. These frogs have the characteristics of:
- two bulging eyes
- strong, long, webbed hind feet that are adapted for leaping and swimming
- smooth, wet skin that looks slimy (generally, frogs tend to like moister environments)
- skinner bodies
- Frogs tend to lay eggs in clusters.
- Members of this family include the bullfrog, common frog, green frog, leopard frog, marsh frog, pickerel frog, and wood frog.
Toads (we call it kodok)They are members of the family Bufonidae, containing more than 300 species. These types of frogs are characterized by:
- short hind legs (for walking instead of hopping)
- drier, rough skin that looks really bumpy, like warts (usually preferring dryer climates)
- wider bodies and look fat
- paratoid (or poison) glands behind the eyes
- Toads tend to lay eggs in long chains.
Reasons for Croaking
Toads generally keep their mouths closed during calls, which moistens the volume of the sound. However, when a toad is being attacked by a predator, it may open its mouth in order to make a high-pitched distress call.
