Woodland Trails

I found an American toad, Bufo americanus, sitting amongst a patch of cattails in the water near the bank of the pond at Woodland trails. The water where it was sitting was only a few inches deep. These toads can be identified by their olive green color and black spots which have warts filled with a poisonous fluid used as defense against predators. It is common to find these toads in freshwater ponds such as this and they require dense patches of vegetation where they can find food and hide from predators (they are most active at night). This particular toad was hiding amongst a thick patch of cattails. The adult toads eat insects and other invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles and snails that they capture using their sticky tongues. Their main predators tend to be snakes. We could hear several American toads calling around us at the pond. They have a very distinct call, a long trill, that they use to attract females for breeding. Their mating season is usually in March or April but it can last as late July. The American toad eats a variety of insects and invertebrates and so are beneficial to farmers and gardeners. Their toxins are also being studied to see if they can have any medical benefits (posted by Jeff Naples).