Difference Between Toad and Lizard

Toad vs Lizard

We all know the difference between a toad and a lizard since our childhood. Kids try to catch toads jumping in a park while being afraid of the lizards that crawl up the walls and kill insects. While toad is amphibian having a leathery skin and having brown color, a lizard is a reptile having a slithery movement and is found in homes crawling up the walls. All this confusion between a toad and a lizard is because of a species of lizard known as horned lizard (sometimes called horned toad). Let it be clear before hand that there is no connection of this lizard with either toads or frogs and the confusion stems from its appearance which because of a round body and a blunt snout resembles that of a toad.

Horned lizard has spines on its back that are modified scales. It belongs to the genus Phrynosomatidae family of lizards. (The word Phrynosoma means toad bodied). Horned lizard closely resembles thorny devil found in US. There are around 14 species found in North America and Central America of this horned lizard. It is a predator that sits and waits its prey. To avoid being caught by a predator, horned lizard has a number of means. Fist of all it has a color scheme that makes it similar to its surroundings. It becomes still and shows no motion when a predator approaches. But if the predator comes too close, it runs in short bursts, resembling the jumping motion of a toad. It also has the ability to puff up its body thus terrifying the predator. If all means fail, it has a unique ability to squirt a stream of blood through its eyes. This confuses the predator and it moves away.

Horned lizards wait for ants to come near and then in a swift motion snap it up and swallow alive. They also eat grasshoppers, insects, spiders and beetles. Despite their ugly looks, horned lizards become easy prey of a number of creatures such as roadrunners, lizards, dogs, wolves and hawks.