Frogs And Toads At The Edge Of The River

At the edge of a river, where moon beams bounce off still water and little frogs clamber over one another to soak up the cold white rays, there is a stillness that surrounds and subdues even the most wild warrior spirit. A gentle hand of earthly heaven that descends from the empty sky to grab hold of the hunter's haunches, summoning his humility and forcing him to hug the earth, if only for a moment. A distinction between frogs and toads, though common in popular culture, is not made in taxonomy. A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin (usually pink and orange-coloured), short legs, and snout-like parotoid glands. Toads cannot transmit warts to people through handling or skin contact. The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline. Also, the parotoid gland is often mistaken for 'warts'. They are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection. Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes, bifid tongue and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance. Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land.