A familiar warty backyard amphibian and a powerful natural pest controller — one toad eats up to 1,000 invertebrates per night, including slugs, ants, and beetles.

Also called: Common Toad, Hop Toad

Native status: Native; widespread

§ Quick facts

SizeAdult length 5–11 cm (2–4.3 in)
Weight20–80 g
LifespanWild typically 1–2 years (high juvenile mortality); captive 30+
OrderAnura
FamilyBufonidae

§ Encyclopedia

The American toad is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern half of Canada and the United States. It is divided into three subspecies: the eastern American toad, the dwarf American toad and the rare Hudson Bay toad. Recent taxonomic treatments place this species in the genus Anaxyrus instead of Bufo.

Source: Wikipedia — American toad Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

§ Identification

Field marks. Medium-sized warty toad with variable brown, tan, or reddish coloration; spots on body usually contain 1–2 large warts; prominent parotoid glands; cranial crests on top of head.

Similar species. Fowler's Toad (3+ warts per spot, shorter parotoid touches cranial crest). Woodhouse's Toad (range overlap). True frogs (smooth skin, longer legs).

Voice. Sweet musical trill 6–30 seconds — among the most pleasant amphibian songs.

§ Diet & behavior

Diet. Insects (beetles, ants, moths, true bugs), slugs, snails, spiders, worms.

Behavior. Most common toad across most of eastern North America. Parotoid glands behind eyes secrete bufotoxins that deter most predators (causes vomiting in dogs and cats; rarely lethal). Some predators (hognose snakes especially) are immune and specialize on toads. Males produce extended sweet trill songs in spring breeding choruses; females lay long double strands of eggs in shallow water that can hatch within days.

§ Range

Eastern North America from Hudson Bay to Mississippi

§ Habitat

Forests, gardens, meadows; needs water for breeding

§ Threats

Pesticide exposure, habitat loss to lawn-monoculture, ranavirus, road mortality during spring breeding migrations.

§ Conservation status

According to the IUCN Red List, the american toad is currently classified as Least Concern.

§ What helps

Build a "toad abode" (overturned clay pot with chip in the rim) in a shady garden. Skip lawn pesticides. Maintain ground-level water sources.

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§ Further reading

§ Sources cited

  • AmphibiaWeb
  • USGS PWRC
  • National Wildlife Federation
  • IUCN Red List 2014