American Toad at Kuse Nature Preserve
Bufo americanus americanus
Toads are dark brown, gray, or reddish in color and have a number of dark blotches on their bumpy backs.
The warts and oblong glands on the shoulders contain a toxin than is harmful to animals that might eat them. It will not, however, cause warts.
Males have a dark throat and females a light-colored throat.
Four to eight thousand eggs are laid in long double strings under water. They hatch in about one week and remain as tadpoles for about three to six weeks. The tadpoles sometimes travel about in groups or schools, often with others that have hatched from the same egg mass.
During breeding season the high-pitched, tremulous call can be heard from ponds. Individuals sing at different pitches.
Toads usually live five to ten years, but much longer in captivity.
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Frogs and Toads Video (QuickTime) |