Common toad

Watch this clip from the BBC Wales Nature blog to find out if you can tell the difference between a toad and a frog.

Generally, common toads (Bufo bufo) are widespread in mainland Britain.

They inhabit damp areas of deciduous woodland, scrub, gardens, parks and fields. During the breeding season they live in ponds, lakes, ditches and slow-moving rivers.

Common toads have a squat body, with short toes, webbed hind feet and a rounded snout. Their eyes are orange with black horizontal pupils. They are covered in raised warts and skin colour varies depending on the time of year, area, sex and age.

Common toads hibernate in October, typically under deep leaf litter, logs, timber piles, or in burrows and drainpipes and tend to live away from water except during the breeding season. They emerge from hibernation around late March, migrating to their respective breeding sites.

Only male common toads croak - this is a useful way of distinguishing males from females. Males will 'squeak' if picked up.

Larger males have deeper croaks then smaller individuals. This difference in pitch enables toads to gauge their chances of success before a fight thereby avoiding battles they are likely to lose.