Resident Toad

Toads are amphibians, animals that spend the early part of their lives under water, as eggs and tadpoles, and the remainder on land. These nocturnal animals hunt at night and spend the day sheltered in a cool spot. This particular toad has taken up residence in an old family cemetery that I care-take. His cool spot being a tombstone. Toads have a chubby body, and shorter legs than frogs. They have no teeth, and most toads have warty skin. The largest toads are over 8 inches (20 cm) long. Females are larger than males. Like all amphibians, toads must return to the water to lay their eggs. Toad eggs are laid in the water. When they hatch into tadpoles, they breathe with gills and swim using a tail. As they mature, they lose their tail, and they develop lungs for breathing air. Their diet consisting of insects and other small animals, that they capture with their long, sticky tongue.