Since we are working so hard to rid Australia of toads and regain habitat for native frogs, it would be tragic if ID mistakes resulted in the culling of any of our amazing native frog species. This page will help you learn about the differences between native Australian frogs and cane toads at all life-stages and should help you to make a positive ID when you are out toad-busting.

If you are ever unsure, just leave it alone! leaving one extra cane toad in the environment is far less damaging than accidentally removing one of our precious native frogs.

Amphibians

Frogs and toads are amphibians along with newts and salamanders, which means they need a moist environment to survive. This doesn’t mean they need to live in the water, but they do need to be near it for two very important reasons;

• Amphibians ‘drink’ through their skin

Amphibians have permeable skin which absorbs water. They don’t necessarily need a pool of water to stay hydrated but they do need a moist environment full of water particles to absorb. Amphibians also lose water through their skin so they can easily dry out if they cant find moisture. Ground frogs and desert frogs will burrow to find and absorb moisture.

It is not just water that passes through amphibians’ skin but gasses too. Amphibians breathe by taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide through their skin. Permeable skin makes amphibians very vulnerable to pollution, pesticides, and other chemicals such as chlorine. You should avoid handling frogs in case your hands have perfumes, creams, soap or other toxins on them and you should install a wildlife float in your pool so that frogs can escape. Placing frogs in tap water will often prove fatal, and they are vulnerable to sudden water changes, so please be aware of this if you ever clean our your pond.

• Amphibians eggs need to be kept moist

If amphibian eggs dry out they will die so they must be laid in a damp environment. Most amphibians lay their eggs in water, although there are some that will lay them in trees, on land or even attach them to their bodies and rely on a moist environment to keep them alive.

There are over 240 frog species in Australia and they are the only amphibians that are native to this continent. Although there are some species of native frog that have ‘toad’ in their name, they are not true toads and Australia has no native newts or salamanders.

Toad spawn or frog spawn?

Most frog spawn forms into lumps of jelly or foam. Most frogs lay their eggs in the water, among vegetation although some will lay their eggs in trees or on land. Frog egg clutches are much smaller than that of toads, ranging from just 16 for the Corroboree frog to nearly 4000 for the Bleating tree frog. Hatching times vary between species. After rain, some frog species will lay their eggs in puddles.

Toad tadpole or frog tadpole?

Unlike toad tadpoles, frog tadpoles don’t swarm unless they have to. In an ideal environment (large waterbody) they don’t bask in the sunny shallows as cane toad tadpoles do but potter around looking for food among water plants. However, in small waterbodies, ponds, pools, puddles, they may be forced to swarm! They come in a variety of colours ranging from browns to greens and beiges and will sometimes have spots or striped patterns. They come in a variety of shapes with some appearing big and bulgey and others slim and dainty. Some of them will look similar to cane toad tadpoles like the spotted marsh frog tadpole which is a chocolate brown colour, almost black, so make sure you pay attention to small details. Catch one in a glass so you can get a better look at them.

Small toad or native frog?

If you are new to the amphibian world, this can be the hardest stage to be ID confident in. However, once you get more familiar with cane toads and native frogs, you will find that you are able to tell them apart quite easily. The main thing you need to be aware of at this life stage is that many Australian frogs are quite small, so fully grown native frogs can get confused with baby cane toads.

Young frogs or small frogs such as the Common eastern froglet in the picture above come in a great variety of colours, shapes, sizes and patterns. Frogs within the same species can even vary greatly from one another (just as cane toads can) so appearance alone is not usually a reliable ID technique, you really need to hear their calls. However, once you know what you’re doing, you should be able to easily differentiate between a cane toad and a frog. Behaviourally, frogs are quite different from cane toads. Many can jump much higher and are much more springy than toads. Many of them can climb high and stick to things, however there are also many species of ground frogs in Australia which don’t climb. It will be quite difficult to get close to them and sudden movements will spook them. You are much more likely to find frogs at dusk and during the night although you will see them in the day sometimes, particularly if it is overcast or rainy. Frogs’ posture is usually flat or poised, ready to spring. They mostly have wider, beadier eyes and are much cuter in expression and appearance than toads. You will occasionally find a native frog under a rock, under ground or anywhere in the environment that may look similar to a toad so you must pay attention to the smaller features. A number of threatened frog species are similar in appearance to cane toads so if you are unsure, please leave it alone. Leaving one extra toad in the environment is less damaging than removing a native frog.

Small cane toads

Adult cane toad or native frog?

As there are over 240 different species of native frog in Australia, the best way you can learn to tell them apart from cane toads is to become really familiar with cane toads and what they look like.

During winter, cane toads hibernate and you won’t see very many. The ones you do see will be lethargic, sickly and slow and most likely small. They will come out of hibernation when the warmer weather stabilises, generally September to May. During the day they hide under rocks, logs and leaves, and they will even burrow under ground. As dusk sets in they will emerge from their day-time hiding places, sometimes in great numbers. They love lawns, patios, anywhere where there are plenty of insects, so they are often found near houses and streets where there is night-time lighting.

They spend most of their life on land and will go down to the water to breed. They like easily accessible, still water so they love dams, ponds, flood-plains and slow running creeks. If the water is difficult to access, ie, surrounded by thick vegetation, they are less-likely to make the effort. Females will make their way to the water when they become gravid and males will call out to females from the water to tell them they are ready to mate.

When you approach a toad, it will most likely puff out it’s chest and sit upright. They are well aware that their only defence is their toxin, so they aim to be grabbed so they can release toxin from their glands to poison you. Their other alternative is to attempt to escape which is more likely to result in their injury if grabbed by the legs from behind.

The images above are all cane toads and demonstrate how varied their appearance can be in terms of colour, pattern and physique. You will notice that their expressions’ appear angry due to their ridged brows and they have horizontal pupils. Most are sat upright and you can see their marbled bellies. The parotoid glands are clearly visible on each toad, regardless of size, shape and health.

Additional resources