Introduction
Missouri toads and frogs are colorful, harmless, vocal and valuable. Our forests, prairies, rivers, swamps and marshes are home to a multitude of toads and frogs, but few people know how many varieties we have, how to tell them apart, or much about their natural history.
The toads and frogs native to Missouri are a valuable part of our outdoor heritage. Most people probably do not give them much thought, but we need these amphibians to control destructive insects and to add their voices to the sounds of spring and summer nights. Just hearing or seeing them adds to our enjoyment of the Missouri outdoors.
Their role in nature can be illustrated by the huge number of insects they eat and by the number of animals that eat toads, frogs or their tadpoles. Since their bodies readily take in contaminants, they are good indicators of environment health. Amphibian skin secretions also are used in medical research to control and cure human diseases. And, a discussion of the value of frogs should include the fact that thousands of bullfrogs are harvested in our state each year for human consumption—one of Missouri’s truly gourmet outdoor foods.
