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Egg Differences
Frogs and toads return to the water to reproduce and most breed in spring or early summer. Frog eggs are laid in clusters and are more easily spotted than toad eggs because they settle near the surface of the water in big, round, clumps. The embryos appear as black dots in the center of see-through, jelly-like balls. The black color of the embryos help them to hatch more quickly as the color absorbs more heat from the sun. A female frog lays hundreds of eggs at one time so the clusters can be very visible. The layers of protective jelly coating the embryos soak up water and swell to form a blob when the eggs first make contact with the water.
Toad eggs are harder to spot because they often attach themselves to leaves or grass near the water's edge. Toad eggs form long strands of parallel strings that look like black beads.
Where They Breed
Frogs generally breed in bodies of water that don't contain fish that may eat the eggs. Ditches, small ponds and water-filled holes are common breeding sites for frogs. Male frogs seek out an appropriate body of water with the correct temperature and call to attract female frogs.
Some toads travel long distances to reach the pond they were born in, but they don't have to avoid water containing fish. Toads have an advantage when it comes to breeding because they produce toxic or bad-tasting skin secretions as a defense mechanism. They have poison glands on the top of their heads, behind their eyes. Even their eggs and tadpoles are toxic so fish and other predators are not as much of a danger.
Both frogs and toads breed by the female discharging her eggs into the water, while the male deposits sperm over them.
Protecting the Eggs
Because of their bad taste, toads don't have to work as hard as frogs to protect their eggs. Many toad species lay their eggs and move on.
In many frog species, it's the male's work to protect the eggs. For example, the male Darwin frog in South America appears to eat the eggs. The frog is actually storing the eggs in their vocal sacs until the baby frogs or froglets emerge.
Egg Hatching
Most frog and toad eggs hatch in about a week to 10 days. Toad tadpoles are generally darker and smaller than frog tadpoles. At the end of the tadpole stage, both frogs and toads go through a metamorphosis that takes place over 24 hours where they lose their gill pouch, making their front legs visible. Other changes occur to the digestive system, eyes, jaws and nervous system that allows the amphibians to move to the land phase of their life cycles. Their tales disappear last as the tail is absorbed with the resulting energy used to help them grow their back legs.