Most of us have grown up with Kermit the Frog and Kenneth Grahame’s unforgettable Mr Toad – but how much do you actually know about these awesome amphibians in real life?
As our own Adrian Thomas points out in his excellent blog on Gardening for wildlife, autumn is a great time to think about whether you’ve got enough suitable spots for both to bed down for the winter.
But how exactly do you tell if you’ve spotted a frog or toad? And what are the most common species you may be lucky enough to find in your green space?
Hop on and all will be revealed…
How do I tell the difference between frogs and toads?
Frogs have smooth moist skin, webbed feet, and are much more likely to be found in damp areas than toads. Their eggs, which they lay in bunches, are surrounded by a sticky, jelly-like substance known as frogspawn.
In contrast, toads have drier, rougher skin, shorter hind legs and prefer to crawl rather than hop. Toads adapt to drier conditions better than frogs, and normally spend much less time in water. They lay their eggs in lines, or strands, on aquatic plants, and will often puff themselves up to appear bigger if threatened.
Have I seen a frog or a toad?
There are two native species of frog and two species of toad in the UK but, in reality, you are most likely to see the common frog or common toad.
Common frog
Common frogs have smooth skin that varies in colour from grey, olive green and yellow to brown, and is normally covered in dark blotches. They also boast a dark stripe around their eyes and eardrum, and dark bars on their legs. But, to make identification a little harder, they are able to lighten or darken their skin tone to match their surroundings.
Common frogs are widespread in mainland Britain, most active at night, and hibernate during the winter in pond mud or under piles of rotting leaves, logs or stones. They can breathe through their skin as well as their lungs. You may also see them in meadows and woodland, and by lakes and canals.
In spring, males croak to attract females. The male embraces a female and fertilises her eggs as she lays them in shallow, still water – frogspawn is a familiar sight. Tadpoles hatch, and over about 14 weeks gradually change into froglets: a process known as metamorphosis.Adults eat insects that they catch with their long, sticky tongue, snails, slugs and worms. Young tadpoles feed in algae, but then become carnivorous.
Common toad
Common toads range in colour from dark brown to grey and olive green and are widespread and common in mainland Britain.
Common toads excavate a shallow burrow that they return to after foraging for prey and tend to live away from water, except when mating, and hibernate during the winter in deep leaf litter, log piles and burrows.
During mating, the male clutches the female from behind in a tight embrace, and fertilises long, triple-stranded strings of eggs as she lays them. Tadpoles hatch after about 10 days and gradually change completely, or metamorphose, into toadlets over about two months. Common toads can live for up to 40 years.
Natterjack toad
Natterjack toads are rare and only found in the UK in sand dunes, heathland and coastal grazing marshes. They’re more olive-green in colour and smaller than common toads, have short legs which they use for short sprints rather than hops, and are sometimes called the ‘running toad’.
Natterjacks can also be identified by a thin yellow stripe down their back and a loud call.
Sadly, this awesome amphibian can only be found in south-east and north-west England, East Anglia, north Wales and parts of Scotland.
Pool frog
The pool frog – England's rarest amphibian – became extinct in the UK at the end of the last century, with the last known colony at Thompson Common, near Thetford in Norfolk.
But it has since been reintroduced to a single site in East Anglia.
Habitats at the secret location have been restored by the Forestry Commission after fenland drainage took its toll.
Pool frogs can be told apart from the common frog by the yellow stripe that runs down their back, pointy face and generally darker skin colouration.
Marsh frog
Marsh frogs were introduced to mainland Britain in the 1930s. Europe’s largest frog stays in or near to water throughout the year – unlike native species which tend to leave ponds after spawning in February and March.
The introduction of marsh frogs in Kent and Sussex may have accelerated the decline of common frog numbers in both counties.
Marsh frogs are often vivid green in colour and generally much larger than native species – growing to 15cm and more. Male marsh frogs sport grey vocal sacs on either side of their head which inflate when calling.
Midwife toad
The midwife toad is known to be established in Bedfordshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Devon.
Adults are normally grey in colour, but can also feature small black, brown, olive or green spots. They can be identified by their clear, high-pitched call which is often likened to an alarm call.
Adult males can be seen carrying eggs wrapped around their back legs, hence the name.