The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad, is a frog found throughout most of Europe, in the western part of North Asia, and in a small portion of Northwest Africa. It is one of a group of closely related animals that are descended from a common ancestral line of toads and which form a species complex. The toad is an inconspicuous animal as it usually lies hidden during the day. It becomes active at dusk and spends the night hunting for the invertebrates on which it feeds. It moves with a slow, ungainly walk or short jumps, and has greyish-brown skin covered with wart-like lumps.
Common toad
Skeleton showing shoulder girdle; 1: suprascapula, 2: scapula, 3: clavicle, 4: procoracoid
Swimming, Otmoor, Oxfordshire
A common toad adopts a defensive stance
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
Toad
Vietnamese folk painting "Nhân nghĩa"
Vietnamese folk painting "Lão oa giảng độc"