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In response to a wormlike stripe, common toads orient and snap towards the edge leading in the direction of motion, given that the stripe is black and the background white. If the stimulus/background contrast is reversed, the toad prefers the trailing edge of the white stripe and often snaps behind it.
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] In popular culture ( folk taxonomy ), toads are distinguished from frogs by their drier, rougher skin and association with more terrestrial habitats. [ 3 ]
The granular poison frog (Oophaga granulifera) is typical of a number of tree frogs in the poison dart frog family Dendrobatidae. Its eggs are laid on the forest floor and when they hatch, the tadpoles are carried one by one on the back of an adult to a suitable water-filled crevice such as the axil of a leaf or the rosette of a bromeliad .
Anura is an order of animals in the class Amphibia that includes frogs and toads. More than 5,000 species are described in the order. More than 5,000 species are described in the order. The living anurans are typically divided into three suborders: Archaeobatrachia , Mesobatrachia , and Neobatrachia .
Frog appears to have been adapted from frosc as part of this trend. [11] Meanwhile, the word toad, first attested as Old English tādige, is unique to English and is likewise of uncertain etymology. [14] It is the basis for the word tadpole, first attested as Middle English taddepol, apparently meaning 'toad-head'. [15]
Song of Common toad or European toad, Bufo bufo. Common toad, female and male on her back. A true toad is any member of the family Bufonidae, in the order Anura (frogs and toads). This is the only family of anurans in which all members are known as toads, although some may be called frogs (such as harlequin frogs).
The American spadefoot toads are of typical shape to most fossorial (or burrowing) frogs. They are round, with short legs and protruding eyes. As suggested by their name, these frogs have hard, keratinous protrusions present on their feet, which help them to dig. Like most fossorial frogs, they dig backwards into the ground. [1]
The Greeks and Romans associated frogs with fertility and harmony, and with licentiousness in association with Aphrodite. [4] The combat between the Frogs and the Mice (Batrachomyomachia) was a mock epic, commonly attributed to Homer, though in fact a parody of his Iliad. [8] [9] [10] The Frogs Who Desired a King is a fable, attributed to Aesop.