Frogs and toads actually have more in common than they have in differences. Telling a frog and toad apart is really comparing it to the early common frog or common toad. Though frogs and toads are different species, they both belong to the same family. Both are amphibians, and both like the water, though frogs spend a later portion of their lives in water. The toad may hop farther from the water source however, and are frequent visitors to people’s gardens.

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.

Another difference between the frog and the toad is the location of poison sacs behind the eyes of the toad. Some frogs are poisonous to the touch, for example, the poison dart frog of South America. Handling these cute red frogs is not recommended, though it would be unlikely to cause death.

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.