It stands out among toads for its preference for wetter habitats than most of its relatives. While many true toads are land-dwellers that only return to water to breed, the Korean water toad is often spotted near streams, rice paddies, ponds, and slow-moving rivers, making it more aquatic in lifestyle than its cousins. Its close tie to water has made it a familiar sight in rural landscapes, where people sometimes encounter it in fields or ditches after heavy rains.

In appearance, the Korean water toad is large and robust, which makes it one of the bigger amphibians in the region. Like other toads, it has a dry, warty skin, usually a mottled brown or olive color that provides excellent camouflage against soil and rocks. Its most noticeable features are its large parotoid glands behind the eyes, which secrete defensive toxins to deter predators. The eyes themselves are striking, with horizontal pupils that give it the classic “toad stare.” Though not colorful like frogs, its earthy tones and rugged build make it perfectly adapted to life on muddy streambanks and farmland edges.

Behaviorally, the Korean water toad follows a rhythm tied closely to seasons and rainfall. In spring, especially after the first warm rains, males gather at shallow waters and produce a deep, resonant “ong-ong” call to attract females. Once paired, the female lays long strings of eggs, sometimes thousands at a time, which coil among aquatic plants. The tadpoles develop quickly in the warm waters of rice paddies and ponds, often benefiting from the human-shaped landscapes that provide shallow, sunlit pools. As adults, they are mostly nocturnal, feeding on worms, insects, slugs, and other invertebrates, making them important natural pest controllers for local farmers.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

China

2019

Jilin, Liaoning

Korea

2019

North Korea

2019