Toad

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/toad

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Bufonidae (family)
2. What makes a toad different from a frog?Toads have drier, warty skin and shorter hind legs that let them hop and walk instead of leaping. They also have special glands behind their eyes that can release poison to keep predators away.
3. How do toads stay dry when they live on land?Their skin is rough and helps stop water from escaping. Toads also burrow into the ground or hide in crevices and stay active at night to avoid hot, dry weather.

Bufotoxins: A group of toxic compounds produced by toads, primarily in their parotoid glands, for defense against predators.
Metamorphosis: The biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure.
Anuran: An order of amphibians that includes frogs and toads, characterized by their lack of a tail in the adult stage and their powerful hind legs for jumping.