Amy Brannan, age 11, of Haggeratown, Md., for her question:

WHAT IS A SURINAM TOAD?

A Surinam toad is an odd shaped toad that is known for the unusual way it raises its young. It is named for Surinam, in South America, where man first discovered it.

The Surinam toad lives in the water and has rough, brown skin. At breeding time, the females skin grows thick and spongy. The female lays each egg while she and her mate turn over in the water. The egg sinks into the skin of the females back. The young pass the tadpole stage in the mothers back.

The young Surinam toads come out of the skin when they are about two and a half months old or older.

The toad is flat and has a head shaped like a triangle. It has small eyes and no tongue or teeth. The long, thin fingers of its front legs are not webbed, but its hind feet have webs between the toes.

The Surinam toad is in the family Pipidae.