The American Toad is
probably the amphibian
most often seen by people in our area. It enters lawns and
gardens, and it frequently crosses roads.
American Toads are large,
growing up to 4 1/2 inches long. Full-grown adults are
usually chubby.
These toads varies in
color, but are usually brown, brick-red, or olive-colored.
They have patterns of lighter colors on their bodies, as
well as brown spots. All of them have warts, and some have a
light stripe down their backs.
Both male and female
toads have a spotted belly, but the male has a darker
throat.
Copyright, John
White
Mark Moran
American Toads are most often seen
and heard in the Spring when they are breeding.
They are also seen frequently in the Fall when they look for new
places to live and hibernate.
In the Spring, male toads find
pools of water and begin calling females. To do this, the male will
stretch out his dewlap
(the pouch at his throat) to create his unique song. The American
Toad call is a long, pleasant trill, that many people mistake for
crickets. Remember, crickets sing in the Fall, toads in the
Spring!
J. Harding
Copyright, Brad Moon, California
Academy of Sciences
Females, who are
attracted to the calls of males, reach the water and mating
begins.
Males will "hug" the
larger females in a position called amplexus.
The female will lay thousands of eggs in long strings in the
water. The eggs will be attached to plants.
Tadpoles
will hatch from the eggs in about a week. The black tadpoles
will steadily grow by eating plant material for over a
month.
Then they will emerge
from the water as young toads.
Copyright, Tony Gamble, University of Minnesota
Copyright, Scott Egan, Rhode Island Vernal Pools
Adult American Toads are
found just about anywhere there is moisture. They now have
lungs
to breathe out of water, but like all amphibians, they need
to keep their skin moist.
American Toads can be
found in forests, meadows, and gardens. They are mostly
active at night.
These toads are predators
and they eat a lot. Insects, spiders, earthworms, snails,
and slugs make up most of their diet,
but they will eat just about anything that fits in their
mouths.
American Toads will lash
out with their sticky tongues to grab prey. If the prey is
large, they will use their arms to stuff it into their
mouths.
American Toads hide under
rocks, logs, and leaf litter during the day. When the
weather gets cold, toads will burrow up to three feet under
ground to hibernate.
Predators of American
Toads include snakes, owls, skunks and raccoons.
American Toads have
special glands, called paratoid glands, which produce a
foul-smelling, toxic chemical. This will keep some predators
from trying to eat it.
Copyright, David Spier
Mark Moran
Other defenses used by American Toads, include playing dead and puffing up their bodies to look bigger than they actually are.
To get around the paratoid glands, raccoons will flip over an American Toad and eat from the underside.
American Toads are extremely
helpful to people, especially in gardens where they will eat huge
numbers of pests,
including insects and slugs. Many people consider the pleasant mating
call of toads to be one of the highlights of Spring. People do NOT
get warts from handling toads. However, toads will release fluid
from their paratoid glands. This can be harmful if the fluid gets
into your eyes or swallowed. American Toads also have a tendency to
pee when they are picked up.
