Toads are amphibians with short legs, fat bodies and lumpy skin. There are more than 500 species of true toads, called bufonids. They live mostly on land, in dark, damp places to keep their skins moist and cool. Toads crawl or hop rather than leap like frogs. Adults are carnivorous, feeding on insects, snails or worms. Larger toads will also eat fish, frogs and even small mammals. All toads have a pair of glands on the back of their heads that contain poison. Called bufotoxin, it is secreted (produced) by the toads when they are in danger of attack.

Common toads emerge from hibernation in spring and make for their breeding ponds. Most return to the pond where they themselves were spawned. The males, who arrive first, croak to attract females. The male then mounts the female's back, grasping it with its forelimbs in a grip called amplexus. As the female lays long strings of small black eggs, the male fertilizes them with his sperm.

Midwife toad

The male midwife toad carries the eggs laid by his female partner on his back and thighs until they are ready to hatch. He can carry up to three clutches of eggs at a time, a total of around 150 eggs. He looks after them, keeping them moist, until they hatch out in up to eight weeks’ time.

Suriname toad

The common Suriname toad is cleverly camouflaged from its predators: almost completely flat, it looks just like a brown leaf. The toad has minuscule eyes, and has neither teeth nor tongue. The toes on its webbed feet have tiny, star-like tips. After the female releases her eggs, the male presses them into the skin on her back. The eggs sink in and form pockets in the skin, like a honeycomb. Inside, the young hatch out as tadpoles. They eventually emerge from their mother's back as very small, but fully developed, toads.

Fire-bellied toad

The bright colours of the fire-bellied toad, from Europe and Asia, warn predators of its nasty taste. If threatened, the toad will twist itself so that its colourful belly can be seen from above. This action, called the unken reflex, is also used by some salamanders. It sheds its skin from time to time, scraping it off with its back legs then eating it.

Cane toad

The cane toad, a native of the Americas, was introduced to Australia in 1935 in an effort to eradicate beetles that were ravaging the sugar cane fields of Queensland. The toads did not reduce the numbers beetles (the fields were not sheltered enough for them) but rapidly multiplied in their new environment, spreading out across Australia, becoming an invasive species. They are now thought to number 200 million.