Denise Burnthon, age 8, of Yuba City, California, for her question:

How do you tell frogs from toads?

Some of the toads and frogs are so much alike that it is hard to tell which is which. As a rule, it helps to know where they live. The frogs spend their entire lives near a pond or stream. They dive smoothly into the water, swim like champions and often sit a long time on the bottom. They also spend many lazy hours squatting among the grassy deeds, catching flies as they So by. Their skins are moist and slightly slippery and most frogs are green or brownish green.

Grown up toads usually hop hop away from the water into the woods and meadows. They are not as graceful as the slender frogs and not as frisky. Most of them are heavier and rather squat. Their skins are rough and bumpy, slightly damp but not slippery.

Most of them wear mottled browns to match the earth and stones. The bumpy warts on their backs are not catching. But some of them ooze poisonous stuff, which is why sensible people try not to touch them, or let their dogs near them