the Eastern American Toad
(Bufo americanus americanus)

Listen to its Call:
A prolonged, high-pitched trill that may last more than 30 seconds

Size: 5.1-11.1 cm in length (2-4.4 inches)

Coloring:
Highly variable in color, ranging from tan, brown, or reddish brown to gray or olive. Most individuals have dark, rounded spots on the back, each of which encircles one or two warts. A light line may run down the middle of the back. The throat and belly are whitish or yellowish with black or gray spotting.

Habitat:
Widely ranging throughout the Great Lakes region; can be found in urban parks, suburban backyards, farmland, savannas, prairies and forests.

When not out looking for food, eastern American toads will keep cool by spending much of their time buried in dirt, leaves, or beneath logs or rocks. They dig into the ground backwards, using their hind feet as shovels. In the winter, they simply burrow deeper to escape the cold.

Confusing Species:
Fowler's Toads usually have three or more warts within each of the larger spots on their backs, and often have unmarked, whitish undersides. Their short, nasal-sounding breeding call is quite unlike the long, musical trill of the Eastern American Toad. These two toad species may interbreed.

Breeding: April to July

Color your own American Toad!