An Argument About Toads
Created | Updated Apr 30, 2023
An Argument About Toads
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Ed. Note: To explain: Paigetheoracle is English and lives in the north of Scotland these days. I live in the northern Appalachians. When Paige sent in the photo above, the following conversation ensued.
Paige: At last your toad picture. Heard splashing. Second big splash thought something like a dolphin or seal. Walked on. Saw the head. A seal. Just then a male eider duck flew by, which reminded me of the joke about two bird watchers talking on salt marsh.
- What was that?'
- 'Eider-'
- 'An Eider?'
- '…Eider a duck once.'
- Sadly one of mine.
Editor: I like the picture of the frog. I don't understand anything else you said at all. I'm guessing it was supposed to be a pun. (Sends Terry Pratchett quote disparaging puns in revenge.)
Paige: It's a toad, not a frog but yes it was a pun.
Editor: Why is it a toad? What species? 'All toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads.' Reptiles Magazine (US). Where I come1 from we call them all 'toadfrogs'.
I have to be careful talking to Paige. And I haven't been careful. Now he assumes I don't know anything about wildlife. This is not true (I minored in biology at university): I don't know much at all about northern Scottish fauna, as will become apparent in a moment2.
Paige: Toads have nobbly skin which is composed of poison glands. Frogs have smooth skin. Toads lay eggs as a string, wrapped around weeds. Frogs lay eggs in clusters as with the photo I sent you. Toads spend a lot of time on dry land. Frogs spend a lot in the water and in damp places. I'm sure Willem can add more points.
Editor: You didn't identify the animal in the photo. Either you identify the species or I put the photo in an issue of the Post as 'Suzy Q Photo of the Week'.
Paige: I said it was a toad (bufo bufo, meaning common toad, not the Natterjack toad, our only other species, which lives in sand dunes, has a yellow stripe down its back and is extremely rare (protected species I have only seen on wildlife programs. If it was that I would be shouting about it to you but very few other people).
Editor: You only have TWO toad species up there? I will look this up. Aha.
(Quotes) 'The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (Bufo bufo, from Latin bufo "toad"), is a frog found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, parts of Scandinavia, and some Mediterranean islands), in the western part of North Asia, and in a small portion of Northwest Africa.' (W*k*p*d**)
As usual, a Eurocentric answer. I note that it is a FROG. Aha! I have found a video! It is a cute froggy. Toad, if you insist. Here is a list of Pennsylvania frogs and toads.
You will note that we are accustomed to biodiversity, hence the question - and the annoyance at being told merely 'it is a toad'.
Whereupon, Dear Reader, I appended my favourite film clip using the word 'toad' – the one from O Brother, Where Art Thou? I added that the Hoggetts had frogs.
Paige (undeterred): The common frog is rani rani. It is what it is. In other words what you call something is just a name you give it. When we both look at it, it is still the same thing we see (a rose by any other name...) but neurologists might argue about that too. You say either, I say eether - let's not sort the whole thing out.
Don't you have a giant one on the prairies? Latin name buffalo-buffalo.
At which point, Dear Reader, the Editor gave up and loaded the picture. Here: enjoy some Pennsylvania frogs. They are definitely not toads.
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