American Toad

Identifying Feat​​​ures

• 2 to 4 inches long; brownish and warty ​skinned.
• Common, but has had recent local population declines.
• Can live in​​ a wide variety of habitats.
• Most active on rainy, humid evenings.
• Remain buried in moist soil, leaf litter, and beneath logs or rocks.
• Burrow deeply into soil during winter and prolonged dry periods and remain dormant until conditions improve.
• Parotid glands produce whitish secretions which contain steroidal defenses.  Attacking predators may become ill or die due to changes in heart function and blood pressure.

C​all

• A long, steady trill lasting about 30 seconds.

Bre​​eding

• Prefer to breed in shallow, temporary waters with little to moderate amounts of vegetation.
• Breeding sites include flooded fields, ditches, stock or ornamental ponds, open marshes, and backwaters.
• Occurs in early April and late May and can last into June or July if temperatures are cooler.
• Females lay from 2000 to over 20,000 eggs in loops on the bottom of the pond or backwater.

Developm​ent

• Eggs hatch in 2-14 days depending on water temperatures. 
• Tadpoles often form large schools.
• Tadpoles transform into frogs in 6-10 weeks; hundreds of young toads swarm near breeding ponds.
• Few survive the 2-3 years required to reach sexual maturity.

Conservation​ Note

• Fairly adaptable, local declines due to loss or degradation of breeding sites.

Habitat Type​

• Ephemeral wetlands.
• Permanent wetlands.
• Rivers and streams.
• Forests.
• Grasslands and savannas.
• Caves and springs.
• Agricultural areas.
• Urban areas.