A Frog's eye has a fine yellow ring set against a brown background
Nature on our doorsteps: Frogs and Toads
Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into the natural heritage around us and the beautiful biodiversity of the plants and creatures.
Ireland has three native amphibian species, the Common Frog, the Smooth Newt, and the Natterjack Toad.
In recent years, however, there have been reports of a fourth amphibian species, the Common Toad.
This species is common in parts of Europe, Asia and Africa, but it is not native to Ireland.
Most of the Irish sightings of the Common Toad have been from the foothills of the Dublin Mountains, stretching across an area from Tallaght to Sandyford.
At a quick glance, Frogs and Toads can look quite similar in general shape and size.
A closer look is needed however to see the features that distinguish the two species from one another.
Frogs occur in different shades and patterns of browns and greens, and their skin is mostly smooth and slippery to touch.
Toads, on the other hand, have dry brown skin which is covered in small bumps or wart-like structures that can be brown, cream, or black in colour.
Toads have orange-striped eyes and wart-like skin
The eyes of Frogs and Toad also differ.
A Frog’s eye has a fine yellow ring against a brown background, while a Toad’s eye is brown with two striking, horizontal, copper or orange-coloured stripes.
Frogs are known for their ability to hop, and they can jump up to 20 times their own body length.
This ability, along with their slippery skin, make frogs difficult to catch and hold on to.
Toads, on the other hand, tend to walk or waddle along quite sedately.
Ireland’s native Natterjack Toad occurs only in County Clare.
The Natterjack has a yellow stripe along the centre of its back which Common Toads do not have.
As Common Toads appear to be a relatively new species to Ireland, scientists are unsure of what their impact, if any, might be on local amphibians and their habitats.
More study is required to determine how many Common Toads actually occur and where they are located.
Information on sightings of Common Toads, along with photographs whenever possible, should therefore be reported to the National Biodiversity Data Centre and to the Herpetological Society of Ireland.
