Toads

Family

Bufonidae

genus

Bufo

Order

Anura

genus

Poecile

Class

Amphibia

species

Bufo ​​Bufo

about

Toads are known for their dry and wart covered skin! Their skin is permeable, and toads are most active in wet weather! Toad’s skin also has glands that produce a substance called bufotoxin which is poisonous and can cause death to small animals. The substance will not kill a human, but it may cause some irritation. Toads also can blend into their surroundings if they are brown or green in color which hides them from predators. If they are brightly colored, it warns predators to stay away because they are poisonous.

habitat

Toads can be found on every continent on the planet, except for Antarctica! Toads will generally live in moist habitats such as fields and grasslands. The American toad can be found in gardens where they eat harmful insects. Toads need to be careful of their predators including snakes, raccoons, foxes, hedgehogs, and birds of prey.

diet

Even though toads are not very big, they eat a lot! They mainly dine on invertebrates — animals without a backbone including slugs, flies, caterpillars, beetles, and much more. Some species, however, eat reptiles, small mammals, and even other amphibians! Toads do not have teeth, so they gulp their meal whole! They also have a sticky substance on their tongues that help trap prey.

fun facts

Common toads occasionally shed their skin. Instead of leaving the discarded epidermis on the ground, toads tidy up by eating it!

Toads like to eat beetles, but they must be careful about their beetle selection. Bombardier beetles will secrete a poisonous liquid after being swallowed that can make toads sick. Most toads vomit up the beetles, and amazingly most of the regurgitated  are still alive! 

There is a massive cane toad in Australia, nicknamed “Toadzilla,” that has been described as the size of a small dog!

download our toad field guide

Learn at home, in your classroom or on-the-go with our end use materials and templates. In each field guide, you will learn more about a featured flora and fauna from our monthly expedition crates.

You’ll find information about anatomy, lifecycles, matching exercises, flash cards, and downloadable posters.