The Difference Between Frogs and Toads or… Toads are From Mars and Frogs are From Venus

Gulf Coast Toad

Leopard Frog

The more I watch the frogs and the toads, the more I notice their distinctions. 

I can’t believe that I used to confuse one from the other. Now, I think that mistaking a toad for a frog would be as absurd as  mistaking a cat for a dog. 

While I recognize them now as altogether different personalities, I looked up what, technically,  makes them different.  First, I found out that all toads are, biologically, in the general frog family, but I guess they are a completely different branch.  So, while all toads are frogs, all frogs are definitely not toads.  

Frogs are water-dwellers. It is their element and they must live near some sort of water source or else they will die.  Conversely, toads are earth-dwellers, they only need the water to breed and for comfort and they can burrow into the ground if it gets too dry. They can even live in the desert. They are adaptable.

Frogs have smooth, lovely skin that needs to be kept moist.  Toads have rough skin; they are prepared for dry conditions and for living in the earth.  Frogs have long well-developed legs that are geared for giant arcing jumps.  Toads have short squat legs, better suited for walking and short hops.  Frogs are shy.  They will use their abilities to leap quickly away from danger or uncertainty.  Toads are not nearly as shy - but they have poison in their skin.  They may not be able to get  away from predators as quickly, but they are  less a target because of those toxins.  Frogs have high-set bulging eyes.  Toads have more inset eyes.  Frogs have TEETH!  Toads do not.  

In folklore, frogs are just a kiss away from royalty. Toads, on the other hand, need to be avoided, because they would give you warts. They are, of course, the crucial ingredient in many a witch’s cursing brew. Their name was invoked as a historic insult, particularly in 19^th century novels: “You toad!”

Frogs have smooth skin, often interesting patterns and are quite lovely. They are rarely noticeably fat or thin. They are watchful, shy, demure. People fashion jewelry and garden statues in the shape of cute frogs. In Asian culture, they are considered good luck.  

Toads are more noticeably fat. I get worried when I see one who is thin.

Ulysses, in all his chubby glory!

Too-skinny Toad

While frogs dive for cover when I come to visit them at the pond, the toads will hang out with me, heads sticking out of the water, not wanting to miss anything.  

Toads are good listeners. 

Million Dollar Smile!

That evening I spent singing to my big toad friend Ulysses as we just hung out together one summer evening will always be one of those great life memories.  I will also never forget when I saw him with a snake swimming around him as he sat in the water, totally unconcerned. He didn’t budge when I grabbed the snake with my kitchen tongs from right beside him.  He knew he was too big and too toxic to eat and seemed amused by the situation. You would never find a frog in that position!  

Toad parties are raucous bacchanalian affairs.  They jump and sing and swim and carry on together.  They may yell at you if you interrupt them, but they won't just scurry away.  These parties might be a bit much for the cautious frogs.

I think that most of us were raised to be frogs.  I think that we should not mind at all if we turn out more like toads.  This could be, perhaps, the most important thing I have learned all year. 

Can we nurture our inner toad?  I wish I could be as comfortable in my skin as a toad. I wish I did not have to be as fearful of life's predators, and simply be comforted with the knowledge that everyone knows I carry a vat of toxins in my skin and any enemy attack upon me is an attack upon themselves.  I wish I could drop any hope of being someone's good luck charm or savior and simply sprawl in the pond and smile when stupid people squirm with revulsion at my rough wrinkled skin.  I wish I could sit still with my inner strength and smile, rather than shake with fear, consumed with over-analyzing my inadequacies and looking for my next escape.

Skinny Squirrel

The drought continues.  It isn't just the drought of the century, it is now just plain the worst drought in Texas history.  It is also the hottest summer in recorded history. This weekend, the forecast shows 108 - 109.   Most recorded days in triple digits, too. I think we are at about 70, with another ten days of triple days forecast.  The all time record was 68, I think.

Skinny Squirrel happily eating peanuts 

My concern for the frogs and toads has expanded to the other creatures around the pond and my giant hand of anti-destiny is acutely feeling the need to act. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I saw a skinny squirrel creeping cautiously up the porch and its stairs towards the pond, obviously attracted by the sound of the fountain, despite it being right next to the scary house with the scary barking dogs.  It must have been at least 105 degrees.  About a foot from the pond, he laid on his belly on the porch, trembling.   A while later, he crept up and ducked underneath the netting of the pond to get a drink.  Poor baby.  I found some bread and gently opened the front door and threw it outside, hoping he would find it.  Then I cut up a corn cob and a banana and put that out as well. Later, while I noticed that the banana hadn't been eaten, I did notice that it was covered with ants - the good kind, not the stinging kind.  Later that night, I saw a couple of Leopard frogs happily sitting next to the bananas, likely gobbling up stray ants which I hear are quite delicious to frogs.  The next morning, all the bread and bananas were gone.

Skinny Squirrel 

Today at the grocery store, I realized that I needed to figure out what a skinny squirrel could eat.  I got a big bag of peanuts and a big bag of cut-up frozen vegetables.  I sprinkled them around the oak trees where I've seen this squirrel forage and then laid some out on a big flat rock underneath an oak tree near the water bucket I set out in the yard. I hoped that the squirrel would find the treasures before the deer would that evening.  At about 5 pm, I saw him sitting on the big flat rock, nibbling from his front paws while standing on his hind legs.  He looked delighted!  I sure was.  I imagined him eating the recently frozen tender peas and lima beans and cut up carrots, not to mentioned the shelled peanuts.  SCORE!! Later, I checked to see what he ate and he left only one solitary peanut.  Now he knows where to look and I have a time frame of when to leave goodies for him. The following day, he was at the rock and at my steps, nibbling away, looking much happier.

Also saw a beautiful tiny green and yellow bird, just the size of a parakeet, sneaking into the frog pond, underneath the net today.  Last weekend, I bought a 25 pound bag of seed and threw it around, hoping someone would find it.

The giant hand of anti-destiny has done some good.  Bringing in the tadpoles to become froglets indoors to die may not have been a good move, other than to teach me a lot about this process. The other stuff the gian hand has done has been ok. The net protected the fish from the herons.  My snake war seems to have been successful,  having peacefully rid the pond of snakes without spilling a drop of blood.  The water in the pond is much more pure than ground water, with its filter and constant replenishing with reverse osmosis treated water from the sink. 

We just have to get through this drought.  Make it rain!

Skinny Toad

Last night, I saw a little toad hanging on the net on top of the pond.  After some consideration about the wisdom of leaving my "giant interfering hand of anti-destiny" out of the pond, I decided to help him out anyway, in case he was lost.  I couldn't help myself. I gently picked him up.  He was scared and tried to wriggle out of my grasp.  He was very skinny and weak, though, and I released him next to the water where he leapt in and stayed, balancing on plants for hours, with just his head above the water. I visited him a few times during the night, hoping that he had caught some bugs.  I've never seen a thin toad before.   How can Texas run out of insects??!  I turned the porchlight on, figuring that the light may attract a few yummy bugs for my friends. This weather pattern needs to change soon. Also in the pond was an elusive Leopard Frog.  She never let me see her in person though, diving under cover when I opened the front door.  But I knew she was there from watching from the window.

This morning, as usual, the toads and frogs were gone.  I still don't completely understand where they exactly go during the day.  As I sat by the water, feeding the fish some flakes, the anole baby came out to say hi, running along the edge of the netting and looking right at me.  I was very glad to see her.  She always looks so cheerful and I swear she comes out purposefully when I come and sit in the morning. I think she is a she because I see that boys have some sort of reddish lumps their necks and I don't think she has one. 

Looking down into the water of the pond, I noted a few active tadpoles.  I understand that the frogs and toads will eat some or all of these.  Maybe Marge and George will, too.    I will not scoop them out and try to save them, however.  Nature needs to do her thing and I need to step back and observe.  Life lesson - something about accepting the things I cannot change, being patient and trying to understand.

Friday's Postscript....

Goodbye, Baby Frog.  I will miss you a ridiculous amount. I worried about you every single day, but I could not keep you with us.  I am so very sorry.  I hope that your little froglet soul will be reborn soon into a glorious healthy frog in an area where there are no snakes and where you can lounge around and sing and make new baby frogs to your heart's content. I hope that, somehow, you knew that someone cried for you and wished that you could have been a happy and loved member of their family for many years. 

Baby Frog Went To The Hospital Today

Baby Frog turned 14 days old today, as a frog, anyway.  He was doing ok, I thought.  But today, he looked so very still. So still, I was pretty sure he had left us.  Nevertheless, I changed his moss and water and left him for awhile.  When  I came back, he had moved slightly, so I knew he was hanging on.  Then, I decided to call the local vet that deals with amphibians and they encouraged me to bring him right over.

Well, when they saw him, they didn't know what to do.  They hadn't realized that he was so tiny. He was so very tiny, there was nothing really they could do for him.  It's not like they could give him an injection - the needle would kill him.  So, they gave me some sterile fluid to bathe him with and they didn't charge me the normal $62 charge.   (Thank goodness).  We just came home and he looks worse.  I don't think he will live through the day, but I will hope.  My guess is that the hour car ride back and forth wasn't that great for him, either.  Frogs are hard.

Baby Frog just 3 days ago

When they asked me for his name when I was filling out paperwork, I felt alternately guilty and relieved that I had not yet named him.  But does a name really make him less a member of the family?  It is just way too easy to get attached to these critters.

Back at the pond, it has continued to be eerily quiet. At 10:00 pm last night, I peered through the front window with a flashlight to see if there was anything going on.   I was surprised to see two Rio Grande Leopard Frogs hanging out.  One was sitting on the netting above the pond, above it all in his big hammock.  Another was on a big rock.  Both looked pretty calm and happy, sitting primly and neatly with their beautiful smooth colorful skin.  They I saw a smallish toad lounging in the water, his limbs askew, with his head stuck above the water.  Toads are such party animals compared to the frogs!  All he needed was a mini beer bottle and a floatie and he would have looked like any other college kid on summer vacation.

Drought

 This is the view from my front door.

It is not supposed to look like this in August.  In Texas, summer is green.  It is always blistering hot - but  you can look forward to fairly frequent tropical rain, warm thunderstorms with brilliant lightning shows and the occasional golfball-sized hail that sends me  running to my car to cover it with a thick bed quilt to protect it from hail dents.  Typically in the summertime, we have to mow constantly to keep up with the wild growth. The humidity will make you sweat through your shirt just walking to get the mail. Bugs are  everywhere and you can hardly hear yourself over the noise of the cicadas and crickets.

But this year is different.

I cannot remember the last time I mowed. Every creek is bone dry.  When I walk around, the ground crunches beneath my feet. The air is dry.

 This is frightening.  Will it ever rain again?  What does it mean for our frogs?  The average daily temperatures ranged from 105 - 108 last week.

The pond has been very quiet, with the occasional leopard frog hanging out for the day.  I spend time with the goldfish who nibble on my finger and beg for more fish flakes.  I have been putting a white sheet over the pond for shade in the middle of the day so the water doesn't get too warm for them.

Frogs and toads typically burrow into ground to escape the heat in dry weather.  They have to protect their skin from drying out.  But where can they burrow when there is no moisture anywhere and the ground is like cement?   There aren't even any insects out. No crickets. No cicadas. No crazy june bugs swirling their crazy paths seeming to try to fly up your nose and ending up caught in your hair.   The birds are gone.

The stillness isn't calm; it is ominous.

Last night, I heard a lonely frog song and wondered where this poor guy was taking shelter.  I think it is amazing that frogs can withstand the 100 degree temperature swings we have here in central Texas.   It just does not seem that long ago when I was watching the temperature dip into the teens and was panicking about the water lines freezing and the pond freezing over.  

Rueters reported that we have received only 40% of our normal rainfall this year.  They also reported that this drought would last through October, at least, and that the heat wave would persist through August.  This is the worst drought Texas has had for a century, perhaps in history.  Ironic that the climate change naysayers are thick here in Texas.  Kinda like mother nature is giving them a well-deserved slap upside the head. Nature has to do that sometimes so that we pay attention.   Time to pay attention.

 On the bright side, look who's ten days old today!


Watching him carefully, I can see his throat move as he breathes and his eyes blink.  His legs are striped and his back is spotted, so I know he is a baby leopard frog.  Leopard frogs will not grow more than an inch for their first year.  They live to be between 7-9 years in the wild, although another website cited 5 years in captivity.   I hope this one will be with me for a long time.  This frog doesn't move around much.  He likes to hide in the moss.  I think he is eating.  I keep his house full of pin head crickets and fruitflies.  I am actually terrified of losing him.  I check on him constantly and check to see if he is breathing.  I look for his ribs and whether his belly looks round.- Is he eating?  Please eat.  Please thrive, baby frog.  Do you like it cold or hot?  Would you like deeper water in your house?  I wish you could tell me.  I wish I could tell you that I am here to help and not to be afraid of me.  You scared me when you fell into the water and you didn't move. I thought you had died before my eyes, but then you jumped away.  Caring for babies is really hard. It terrifies me.  Always has.

Who Do We Have Here?

On the day that Pippen died, one of the tadpoles decided that it was time to step up and be a frog. I hesitated to introduce him, because he is the sole survivor of my attempts to save baby frogdom from the snake war.

I have learned some things, however, through this heart-wrenching experimentation in frog-raising.  This guy just gets live food - fruitflies and pinhead crickets.  You can already see that he has a nice little belly on him, unlike Pippen, who had a giant head and almost no body.  I tried to feed Pippen bloodworm goo, which I don't think he ever ate.   I moved this guy to  a new, smaller and very clean carrier, just in case the aquarium the others were in had some kind of fungus or bacteria that contributed to the other froglets' and tadpoles' deaths.  No gravel or sharp rocks went into this pen, having read in a blog that gravel can scratch a young frog's tender body and make it vulnerable to infections.   This froggy has only soft moss and a big plastic dish shaped like a rock.  I also took out the heat lamp.  I heard that frogs really are fine at between 70-80 degrees, which is exactly what my house is, with the A/C on.

He seems to be doing well. He looks like a real tiny frog, rather than a little old man. I am keeping my fingers crossed -- and going back to the store for more tiny crickets!