How to Identify Toad Eggs from Frog Eggs
In Australia at least, toad eggs look nothing like any Australian frog's eggs so they are easy to identify (If you are overseas and have other species in the Bufo genus, you might not be able to tell which species of toad the eggs are.). All Australian frogs lay their eggs in clumps or spreading mats rather than strings. They might be clumps under water attached to a rock or vegetation, a lump of foam (like frothed up laundry soap) on the water's surface, or as a film which spreads across the surface. (Microhylids lay clumps of eggs in soil and would not be readily identifiable to most people as being frog eggs at all, much less confused for toad eggs.)
Cane toads lay their eggs in very long strands of clear jelly, sort of like small black pearls in a long clear plastic tube. These strands can get all tangled up in underwater vegetation so, at first, they might look like the eggs are clumped together, but if you use a stick or rake to try to pick them up, the long strands will hang down and you'll see that they are not clumped at all. If there is nothing underwater for the eggs to tangle onto, then they will sink to the bottom.
Pull the toad eggs out of the water and dispose of them by either putting them into your compost bin, burying them in the garden or leaving them on the lawn to dry in the sun.
In a warm climate, the eggs will hatch in only 24 to 48 hours so a daily vigilence of a pond is necessary to catch them while they are still eggs.
How to Identify Cane Toad Tadpoles from Frog Tadpoles
Looking at the Finer Details: Tadpoles vs. Toadpoles
These can get a little tricky to identify and if you're not sure, we recommend that you leave them alone. If there is any possibility that they might be Australian frog tadpoles, it's better to let them metamorph and then identify them. There are some subtle distinguishing characteristics between toadpoles and tadpoles, however, so if you're good at observing fine details, you'll be able to pick out which is which. (We apologise that some photos are missing - we'll get them included as soon as possible - but we didn't want to hold up the rest of the information in the meantime!)
Do not try to identify toadpoles at night - they change colour at night and look just like Australian frog tadpoles. Here are some daytime differences between toadpoles and tadpoles:
Frog Tadpoles | Cane toad (Toadpoles) |
|---|---|
Most species are brown or have blotches, stripes, spots, see-through bits or other markings on the body and tail; the tail fin is visible and usually has some kind of markings or spots | Toadpoles are all black during the day and have a thin, black tail muscle but their tailfins are so clear, it's hard to see them at all unless the toadpole is held up close |
Frog tadpoles are smaller than 30mm when they're young but if you see any tadpole longer than 35mm, it's a frog | Toadpoles only grow to about 30mm total length before they metamorph (change into toads) |
Frog tadpoles like to shelter under leaves and stay near the bottom, sit in one spot for long periods, swim independently instead of schooling | Toadpoles sit in full sun during hottest time of day; no attempt to hide; often flick tail quickly even when not swimming forward; tend to swarm together in schools, especially along the edges of shallower water |
Frog tadpoles when viewed from overhead, the body is oval, round or has an irregular shape |
Toadpoles when viewed from overhead, the body is almost diamond shaped |
Some frog metamorphs can be less than 10mm but most are bigger and are pale or have markings similar to adults of their species; this one is the Marbled Burrowing frog which also has a black tadpole but it grows up to 80mm long |
The metamorph is only 10mm long and is black for the first few days; with a magnifying glass, you can see that the eye has that football shaped pupil and the hard ridge of skin over the eye just like the adult |
Make Sure it's the Real Thing
Male and female cane toads are easy to tell apart from each other but somehow, many Australian ground-dwelling frogs are still doomed by golf clubs and vehicle tires/tyres because people don't get close enough to check before they become the executioner.
Frog Species | Mistaken Identities | Cane toads |
|---|---|---|
The Ornate Burrowing frog (Limnodynastes ornatus) has smooth skin, only reaches 35mm in length, is very round in shape and does not have the hard ridge over the eye or a gland behind its eyes |
| Toads get much larger and have a more oblong shape as well as the more piercing look to their eyes and a dry warty skin |
The Stoney Creek frog (Litoria leseueri) is often on roads at night but it sits low to the ground and has a pointed snout | (photo to come) | The toad has a blunt snout and sits up at about a 75 degree angle |
The Giant Pobblebonk (Limnodynastes interioris) has short legs, a blotchy pattern and gets as big as a typical toad but is has smooth warty skin, no hard ridge over the eye and no paratoid gland |
| Although its appearance makes many people think it's a toad, cane toads are not yet found in the area where the Giant Pobblebonk comes from which is interior NSW |
The Marbled Burrowing frog is very dark and spotted but its skin is smooth and wet and it does not have a hard ridge over the eye |
| Toads have dry, leathery skin and a hard ridge of skin over each eye |
There are other species which can be confused with toads but we don't have the photography for them. If you have a book on Australian frogs, have a look at the following species:
