The Wildlife of
Cragside

 
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Reptiles - The Common Toad

First seen on Wednesday 14th July 2021 at Cragside

It's not always easy to distinguish between a toad and a frog, especially when they are tiny, like this one. As a general rule, frogs tend to have smoother damp skins than the dry bumpy skins of toads. In addition, frogs have longer rear legs to hop with, whereas the toads tend to just crawl. The frog's feet are more webbed than a toad's. Toads also have large bumps behind their eyes (the paratoid gland). Toad and frogs both start life in ponds as tadpoles. After they emerge, frogs stay relatively near water, but toads can be found much further away (hence their drier skin).


 

This adult Toad was found crawling away from the far Nelly's Moss lake into the undergrowth.