🐸 Southern Toad

(Anaxyrus terrestris)

The Southern toad is a medium-sized, bumpy-skinned toad commonly found in the southeastern United States. They are hardy, adaptable, and full of personality.

🌍 Range & Habitat

Southern toads live throughout:

  • Florida

  • Georgia

  • South Carolina

  • North Carolina (coastal)

  • Alabama

  • Mississippi

They prefer:

  • Pine forests

  • Oak hammocks

  • Sandy soils

  • Yards and gardens

  • Coastal plains

  • Ditches and ponds for breeding

They tend to avoid the far western Florida panhandle where the Oak toad dominates.

🧬 Appearance

Size

  • Adults: 2–4.5 inches long

  • Females larger than males

Color

  • Tan, brown, reddish-brown, or gray

  • Often with dark spots, mottling, or bands

  • Belly pale with occasional dark speckles

Key ID Feature

Southern toads have large, distinct cranial crests behind the eyes—long, raised “knobs.”
These crests often have a pair of pointed knobs at the back, which helps distinguish them from the similar American toad or Fowler’s toad.

Skin

  • Dry and warty

  • Two large parotoid glands behind the eyes (mild toxin)

🧠 Behavior

Southern toads are:

  • Mostly nocturnal

  • Shy during the day—hide under logs, leaf litter, or burrows

  • Excellent diggers

  • Come out in warm, humid weather

  • Very vocal during mating season

They rely heavily on camouflage and staying still to avoid predators.

🎶 Call

Their call is a long, musical trill lasting 5–10 seconds—faster and smoother than the American toad’s call.
It’s a classic sound of southeastern summer nights.

🍽️ Diet

They are insectivores and eat a wide range of small prey:

  • Beetles

  • Ants

  • Crickets

  • Roaches

  • Spiders

  • Caterpillars

  • Small worms

Southern toads are very helpful in backyard pest control.

🌧️ Breeding

Breeding season: March to October (earlier in the south)
Males gather at ponds, ditches, marshes, and roadside puddles to call.

Females lay:

  • 2,000–4,000 eggs in long jelly strings

  • Eggs hatch within a few days

  • Tadpoles grow quickly and often become toadlets within 20–60 days

Tiny toadlets often emerge in huge numbers after summer rains!

🏡 Lifespan

In the wild: 5–10 years
 In captivity (when legal to keep): 10–12+ years

⚠️ Predators & Defenses

Predators include:

  • Snakes

  • Birds

  • Raccoons

  • Squirrels

  • Large frogs

Defenses:

  • Mild toxin from parotoid glands

  • Puffing up

  • Camouflage

  • Burrowing

Their toxin is not dangerous to humans but can irritate pets’ mouths.

🐾 Fun Facts

  • They dig backward with their strong back legs.

  • In sandy habitats, they often create little “toad holes” to hide during the day.

  • Their skin secretions taste terrible to predators, giving them time to escape.

  • They tolerate suburban neighborhoods well as long as pesticides are avoided.

  • Some individuals show beautiful reddish or copper colors.