Frog Toads and Frogs: What's the Difference? Toads and frogs are both amphibians. Both start out life in eggs laid in water, and both hatch as tadpoles. As they grow, they spout legs, their tail shrinks, and their body changes shape. And most live on land as adults. Some toads and frogs are very hard to tell apart, especially in the tropics. But herpetologists, the scientists who study amphibians and reptiles, have found some useful differences between most. Using field guides, encyclopedias, the Internet, and other research materials, see if you can find some of the biggest differences between the two groups. Frog Toad 1. Texture of skin     2. Moistness of skin     3. Usually has parotoid glands?     4. Size of back legs     5. Power of back legs     6. Shape of egg mass     (Journey North's science writer filled this out--if you want to see her answers, click here.) Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.