Mossy frog

Fantastic frogs

Bornean eared frog

Ribbit! Creak-creak-creak. Peep-peep-peep-peep. CROAK! Rraak, rraak, rraak. Rruum-rruum. Cu-tuck, cu-tuck, cu-tuck. Gunk-GUNK!

Those are just some of the sounds that male frogs make—each species has its very own song. It’s usually the males that are making all the noise, saying, “Hey ladies, I’m over here!” or “Stay away guys, this is MY territory!” 

Splash-backed poison frog

Froggy facts

Frogs also come in many sizes and colors. style The smallest ones are about the size of a pea, while the biggest, the goliath frog, is 13.5 inches—longer than a ruler! That's a big frog. Frogs that are brightly colored, like poison frogs or the tomato frog, are making an announcement: “I’m toxic—if you eat me, you’ll get very sick!” Predators leave them alone. Other frogs are green and brown to blend into the ponds, rocks, and soil where they live—they hope that predators won’t spot them.

Toad

Frog or toad?

What's the difference between a frog and a toad? Generally speaking, frogs have smooth, moist skin, long legs for hopping, and suction pads on their toes to help them climb. They’re also more likely to live near water. Toads, on the other hand, are more heavyset with shorter legs, and usually have drier skin, often with warty-looking bumps. Don’t worry, they aren’t really warts, so you can’t catch them! But whether they’re called frogs or toads, they all belong to the same group of animals, the amphibians. They start out as swimming pollywogs, then go through metamorphosis to become adults.