Can Toads Swim?

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Last Reviewed:September 29, 2022 by Gabrielle Marks

Can Toads Swim?

Toads can swim quite well if they have to. They just would rather not. They’re the 300 or so species of frogs in the family Bufonidae that are typically characterized by dry, wart-ridden, and leathery skin that allows them to dwell away from watery surroundings, where swimming won’t be necessary.

Toad Vs. Frog

These amphibians have shorter legs than the average frog and are generally considered fuller bodied. These characteristics are likely to make swimming more of a challenge for toads than the slimier, leggier, leaner frogs.

Baby Toads Live in Water

Regardless of their propensity for living and hibernating away from bodies of water, toads need to swim for at least some of their lives. Males call on females in spring from shallow bodies of water with an expanding neck pouch called a dewlap. After mating, their resulting tadpoles will have to survive for weeks here in the water until their limbs allow them to leave their full-time swimming days behind for good.

Parotoid Glands

To help them survive to adulthood, many toad species develop not warts but parotoid glands on their back. Toxic fluids are secreted through these glands that cause many an animal to change his mind about eating a toad. Some animals have evolved beyond this evolutionary defense: Raccoons commonly eat American toads; they just flip them over first and eat them through the underbelly, leaving the parotoid glands on the back to serve as the plate.