American Toads

(Anaxyrus americanus)

A common, hardy, and beloved amphibian across much of North America

🟤 What They Look Like

  • Usually brown, tan, or gray, sometimes reddish.

  • Covered with dry, warty skin (the “warts” are parotoid glands that produce mild toxins for protection).

  • One or two large warts inside each dark spot on the back — this helps tell them apart from other toads.

  • Short legs for walking or small hops rather than long leaps.

  • Males often have darker throats during breeding season.

🌎 Where They Live

American toads have one of the widest ranges of any North American amphibian.
They are found throughout:

  • The Midwest (including Iowa)

  • The Eastern U.S.

  • Parts of Canada

They thrive in:

  • Backyards

  • Forest edges

  • Meadows

  • Gardens

  • Any area close to water for breeding

They’re extremely adaptable — one reason people see them so often.

🎵 Sounds and Communication

Male American toads have a very distinctive call:

  • A long, musical trilling sound, lasting 5–30 seconds

  • Often heard in spring and early summer
    Their call is one of the first reliable sounds of spring in many areas.

🐸 Life Cycle

  1. Eggs – females lay thousands in long, jelly-like strings in shallow water.

  2. Tadpoles – tiny black tadpoles gather in schools and grow quickly.

  3. Metamorphosis – they turn into toadlets in just a few weeks.

  4. Adults – live on land most of the year, returning to water only to breed.

American toads may live several years in the wild and even over 10 years in captivity.

🌙 Daily Life & Behavior

  • Mostly nocturnal.

  • During the day they hide under logs, rocks, leaf litter, or in burrows.

  • They are solitary and very territorial with other toads outside breeding season.

  • They use their sticky tongues to catch insects.

🍽 What They Eat

American toads are great natural pest control!
Their diet includes:

  • Ants

  • Beetles

  • Slugs

  • Worms

  • Spiders

  • Small insects

A single toad can eat thousands of insects each season.

🛡 Defense & Predators

Their main defenses:

  • Glands that release mild toxins (not harmful to humans or pets who don’t mouth them)

  • Puffing up to look bigger

  • Camouflage

Predators include:

  • Snakes

  • Birds

  • Raccoons

  • Larger frogs

❄️ Winter: How They Survive

American toads hibernate on land:

  • They dig deep burrows below the frost line

  • Sometimes use abandoned rodent tunnels

  • They slow their metabolism and survive months without eating

In spring they re-emerge as soon as temperatures warm.

💡 Fun Facts

  • They return to the same breeding pond every year.

  • Their skin toxin tastes bitter to predators and can cause drooling—but won’t harm humans.

  • They can “play dead” if threatened.

  • Despite their reputation, toads do NOT give people warts — that’s a myth from human papillomavirus (HPV)!