Frogs and Toads

Frogs and toads breathe partly through their skin and usually start life as swimming tadpoles that later change into land-dwelling adults, although a few species skip stages. That thin, moist skin explains a lot: it is why some species are poisonous, why many are sensitive to pollution, and why a single fungus has hit amphibians so hard.

Each article takes one species and one big idea: a frog you can almost see through, a frog that survives being frozen, a call that carries across a pond, a parent that carries the eggs. The category closes with the chytrid fungus, the disease behind many recent amphibian declines.

Frog and toad statuses are reassessed as new surveys come in, so you will see a consultation date on every conservation note. We do not give advice on catching or keeping wild amphibians.