Even though Bermuda lacks fresh water, amphibians still call it home. Clearly, our famous tree frogs are happy here - they celebrate in song nearly every night.

Tree Frogs (Eleutherodactylus johnstonei and Eleutherodactylus gossei)

If you take a nighttime walk during the months between April and November, you are sure to hear a natural, nocturnal concert. This beautiful chorus is actually produced by our tree frogs, affectionately known as whistling frogs.

A day in the life

Tree frogs spend their days quietly resting under moist leaf litter and stones. As night falls, they climb up nearby trees. The males then strike up a tune, hoping to attract mates.

• Scaling trees is not particularly difficult for tree frogs because of their specially adapted foot pads. If you see one, examine its feet. You'll notice little round pads instead of webbing, which is more typical for frogs. These pads are ideal for climbing, but not for swimming
• Because of the absence of fresh water on our island, whistling frogs lay their eggs in pools of water, which collect at the bases of plant leaves, especially the large banana plant leaves
• Bermudians regard these little amphibians so highly that whistling frogs appeared on our postage stamps in 1979

Giant Toad (Bufo marinus)

Bufo marinus is so large that it is known as the "Spring Chicken" in Belize. These giants were imported to our island from Guyana in 1875 to control cockroaches. Today, this toad may be one of the threats endangering the native Bermuda rock lizard.

• Giant toads may prefer to eat insects, but they will go after anything that fits in their mouths - including lizards, frogs, mice, younger toads and even pet food left outside
• Every giant toad possesses a pair of poison glands that emit a toxin that, if accidentally rubbed into the eyes, causes intense pain and temporary blindness
• Male toads are particularly promiscuous and will attempt to mate with anything that even remotely resembles a female toad-including shoes!
• The female can lay up to 30,000 eggs a month, and even her eggs are poisonous