Mary Allen
Frogs are amphibians, i.e. vertebrates. Frogs, toads, and toads make up the three families of anurans. They live in the water as young animals and are then called tadpoles. Tadpoles have gills and look very different from adult frogs, they are more reminiscent of small fish. They later grow legs and their tails recede. When they mature into frogs, they breathe through their lungs.
Frogs prefer to live near lakes and rivers. Their skin is moist from mucus glands. Most frogs are green or brown. In the tropics, there are also colored frogs: red, yellow, and blue. From many, you can get arrow poison.
The largest frog is the goliath frog: the head and body together are over 30 centimeters long. That’s about the length of a school ruler. However, most frogs fit comfortably in one hand.
In spring you can hear the male frogs croaking. They want to use it to attract a female so that they can mate and have young. Such a frog concert can get pretty loud.
Mainly common frogs live in our countries. They like to live in bushes, in the moor, or in the garden. They eat insects, spiders, worms, and similar small animals. They sometimes survive the winter in holes in the ground, but they can also survive at the bottom of a lake. In Europe, many pools and ponds were filled up. There are also fewer and fewer insects because of intensive agriculture. That’s why there are fewer and fewer frogs. Frog legs are also eaten in some countries, including Europe.
How are frogs different from toads?
A major difference lies in the physique. Frogs are slimmer and lighter than toads. Their hind legs are longer and, above all, much stronger. They can therefore jump very well and far. Toads can’t do that.
The second difference lies in the way they lay their eggs: the female frog usually lays her eggs in clumps, while the toad lays them in strings. This is a good way to tell which spawn it is in our ponds.
However, one must not forget that it is not always possible to precisely distinguish frogs from toads. They are too closely related. In our countries, the names help: With the tree frog or the common toad, the name already says which family they belong to.