eastern American toad

Common and abundant

A wide variety of habitats, from forests to prairies, with semi-permanent water adjacent to dense vegetation.

5 to 8 years

2″ to 4″

This is the most common toad in Minnesota. It can be 2″ to 4″, averaging 3″, at maturity.

The background color is usually brown, rarely greenish, red, or gray. There are brown to black spots, sometimes bordered in white, on the back. The spots contain 1 or 2 warts. There are 2 cranial ridges between the eyes. These ridges do not join at the front or back. There are 2 large warts behind the eyes. These are the paratoid glands, which secrete a toxin to discourage predators.

Canadian toad (Anaxyrus hemiophrys) background color is lighter, white or light brown. The warts on the back may be black, brown, or reddish. The 2 cranial ridges join at the rear to form a prominent bump (boss). In Minnesota it is found only in the west-central and northwest regions.

Algae, plant tissue, organic debris

Small terrestrial insects and other invertebrates

Eggs are laid in the early May. Larvae hatch in 3 to 12 days. The tadpole stage lasts 40 to 70 days. Toadlets emerge in late June or early July.

Sexual maturity is reached in 2 or 3 years. Most individuals do not survive the tadpole stage. Those that do may reach 10 years of age, but most reach only 5 to 8 years of age in the wild.

Adults hibernate in the coldest winter months and may aestivate during the hot, dry months of summer.

Taxonomy
This subspecies was formerly classified Bufo americanus americanus.

Subspecies
There are two subspecies of American toad. Eastern American toad is the only subspecies found in Minnesota.