TWO TOADS

Toads are a type of frog. Toads have bumpy, dry, thick, skin and shorter legs for hopping or walking on land (thus, they can be terrestrial). Toads lay their eggs in long spiral chains. Toads are also  generally toothless.

Frogs, in contrast,  have smooth, slimy skin and long legs for leaping through water. Frogs live in or near water. They lay their eggs in gooey clusters, and frogs usually have small teeth in their upper jaw.

Biogeographic analyses suggest modern toads originated in South America approximately 61 million years ago (i.e., middle Paleocene, with later dispersal to Africa and Asia (Wu et al., 2025) and Wikipedia, 2025).                                                         

                                  ANAXYRUS TOAD

Two summers ago, I was surprised when I found a toad in my backyard. It is the only one I have every seen in my yard. It was an adult Anaxyrus americanus, which is a North American toad. It was spotted in the morning time, which is unusual because this toad is mainly nocturnal. This toad eats insects, worms, spiders, and slugs.

Its dry, warty skin has prominent parotoid glands behind its eyes, which secrete this toxin milky poison. It skin is brown to gray, with a light stripe that runs down the middle of its back. It has short legs, warty skin, and a stout body about 2 to 4 inches long. It absorbs water through its skin. It periodically shed its old skin. 

   Classification

Kingdom

Phylum Chordata

Class Amphibia

Order Anura

Famil Bufonidae

Genus Anaxyrus

Species A. boreas

[only three species are known]

note: Anaxyrus boreas is found throughout California, except for the northernmost counties 

(californiaherps.com).

Figure 1. Anaxyrus boreas (about 3 inches long), found in my backyard in Southern California.

                        VIETNAMESE MOSSY TOAD

This nocturnal amphibian lives in northern Vietnam and southern China. This toad (usually incorrectly referred to as a "frog,") has excellent camouflage because it has extremely bumpy/mottled moss-like skin that has green and brown coloration (plus some red) that blends in perfectly with the rainforest habitat in which it lives. They require high humidity.

These toads are 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length, with females larger than males. They are also insectivores that mainly eat crickets and cockroaches. These toads defend themselves by curling into a ball and dropping into standing water in the rain forests. Their skin has toxins, thus if you have to handle one, you should wear gloves. 

Classification

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Amphibia

Order Anura

Family Rhacophoride

Genus Theloderma

Type Species T. corticale

Figure. Vietnamese Mossy Toad (usually and incorrectly referred to as a "frog") is about 3 inches in length. Image from the Smithsonian Institution (open access).

References: 

californiaherps.com

Wikipedia 2025

Wu, D. and 13 others. 2025. Earth history and trait innovation drive the global radiation of modern toads. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Biological Sciences, v. 292, issue 2057. Access is via an account. Otherwise, only the abstract can be viewed.