A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura (frogs) characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and snout-like parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in taxonomy, but is common in popular culture, in which toads are associated with drier skin and more terrestrial habitats than frogs. In taxonomy, toads are spread across families Bufonidae, Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and Microhylidae. A group of toads is called a knot.
The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline. Also, the parotoid gland is often mistaken for 'warts'. They are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.
Famous quotes containing the word toad:
“Waxed-fleshed out-patients
Still vague from accidents,
And characters in long coats
Deep in the litter-baskets
All dodging the toad work
By being stupid or weak.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“Why not walk in the aura of magic that gives to the small things of life their uniqueness and importance? Why not befriend a toad today?”
—Germaine Greer (b. 1939)
“We were watched. I didn’t see anything, I felt it, in my stomach. I was a toad on a wet rock. A snake was looking at my back.”
—John Paxton (1911–1985)