Common Toad
Featured in: Year 1: Animals, including humans
Reading level:
Common Toad
Amphibian
An amphibian with warty skin that prefers to crawl rather than hop.
💡 Fun Facts
- Has glands behind its eyes that produce a mild poison to put off predators.
- Has a sticky, flick-out tongue that it uses to catch insects and slugs with lightning speed.
📅 Through the Year
- Breeding:March to April
- Hibernation:November to February
Name Story
Bufo bufo
means “the toad, toad”
What does its name mean?
- Bufo — toadLatin
- bufo — repeats the genus — the species name is the same word againLatin
This one is easy: 'Bufo' is just the Latin word for 'toad', and the common toad's name uses it twice — 'Bufo bufo' — so it means 'the toad toad'! When a name says the same word twice like this, it is called a tautonym, and it usually points to the most ordinary, best-known member of its family — the toad everyone pictures.
📄 Educational Handout Available
Download the printable infographic: Frogs and Toads