A few weeks ago, I was digging through a pile of soil filling up pots for plants with a volunteer and another Ijams’ employee. All of a sudden the volunteer yelled, “Oh no! A dead frog!”
I picked up the frog and quickly realized that it was a dormant American toad (Bufo americanus).
Amphibians have to hibernate in order to survive the winter. They are ectotherms meaning that they get their heat from their surroundings.
I had already heard several American toads calling that week, but this toad was clearly not ready to come out yet. So, I took the toad and shallowly buried him near a pond on the Homesite knowing that he would soon be ready to come out to find a mate. This week, to my great surprise, I saw an American toad singing his heart out at that very pond!
Toads spend the majority of their lives on land and only go to water to mate and lay eggs. The males sing a long musical trill that can last several seconds. I watched my toad for over a half hour, and he sang almost the entire time. He will continue to sing until he attracts a mate. The female will then lay a long string of eggs in the water. As of now, I haven’t seen any toad eggs, but I will continue to monitor the pond to see if any appear.
- Text and photo by Emily Boves
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