Toads (1957)

sometimes release a white fluid from glands in the skin although this fluid may be quite poisonous to small animals it is relatively harmless to man handling a toad will not cause warts the tree frogs or tree toads are a third kind of tailess amphibian these little animals usually an inch to 2 in long are able to walk up a pan of glass they do this with the aid of sticky suction pads on the tips of their long toes they are called tree frogs because they are frequently found on trees shrubs and tall grasses frogs and toads are close related the fat animal on the left is a western toad the thinner animal on the right is a bullfrog the Frog usually has a narrower waist its skin is frequently smooth and moist the toes of a frog are webbed to help it swim frogs are usually found in and around water the feet of a toad are not webbed as much as a frogs it lives in drier places the toad skin is covered with small bumps in their adult stages the tailess amphibians breathe mainly with lungs they breathe through nostrils much as we do air is forced in and out of the body by movements of the throat the eye of an amphibian is protected by a membrane a kind of third transparent eyelid the membrane covers the eye when the animal is underwater yet allows it to see the other major group of amphibians are those with Tails these are called salamanders some but not all salamanders spend part of their lives in water develop from tadpoles just as the frogs toads and tree frogs do these salamanders are commonly called nutes although salamanders look very much like lizards it is easy to tell them apart the skin of a salamander is smooth and without scales salamanders never have more than four toes on their front feet some salamanders like this tree salamander lay their eggs on damp soil they do not go through a tadpole stage and they never develop lungs they breathe or absorb oxygen directly through their skins they seldom go near water some salamanders like this siren live their lives entirely in water the siren has two small front legs only it breathes by means of bushy gills just in front of its two tiny legs and it keeps these external gills all its life if you look along the banks or in the water of freshwater streams you will probably find members of the backboned animals called amphibians there are two major groups of these animals one group those without tails includes the frogs the toads and the tree frogs they usually live their early lives in water breathing with gills and their adult lives on land breathing mainly with lungs most go through a tadpole stage the other group of amphibians those with tails are salamanders some like this Western nute go through a gill breathing tadpole stage they breathe with lungs as adults some salamanders like this tree salamander may live entirely on land breathing through their skins they do not go through a tadpool stage still other salamanders like this siren live entirely in water breathing with gills throughout life because most amphibians like this western toad eat insects during their adult lives they are of great value if you are lucky enough to have a toad in your garden don't harm it or drive it away amphibians are harmless and they help to keep the world free of harmful insects they are good friends to [Music] [Applause] man