Embedded Files
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Family: Bufonidae
Order: Anura
Genus: Anaxyrus
Species: Anaxyrus americanus
Sub Species
eastern American toad
dwarf American toad
Hudson Bay toad
How Long In Existence
Centuries
Relatives
Fowler toad
Ancestors
Lissamphibians
Caecilians
Microbrachus
Description: Tan-Brown color, warts, and bulging eyes. Small and an amphibian. 2-4 inches long. 20-80 grams. 1-2 years avg, but can be 10 years.
Males are smaller than females. Males have black or brown throats, females have white throats.
Habitat
Heavy rain is wanted, but moderate rain is sufficient.
Plants that create a moist cool umbrella such as salvia, ferns, and columbines.
All sorts of insects, snakes, birds, and mammals.
Temperature includes winter to summer temperatures.
Moist open habitats like fiels and grasslands.
Distribution
Found in North America.
Not invasive anywhere.
Diet
Worms, ants, mealworms, crickets, and slugs.
Young toads eat every 2-3 days and adult toads eat every 3-4 days.
Toads use their tongues to catch food and they can eat it as long as it fits in their mouth.
No special foods.
Social Structure
Solitary animals unless its breeding season.
No roles within a pack as they are solitary.
Males, during mating season, fight each other to try to breed females.
Development
Starts off as an egg for 3-12 days then hatches into a tadpole. 50-65 days later the tadpole turns into an American toad.
2-4 years until an American toad reaches sexual maturity.
Eggs and tadpoles are fully in water, then a toad can live in the water or on land.
American toads don't have different development besides reproductive organs.
Reproduction
American toads breed once years.
Males find one female and mate with them.
American toads mate during the spring.
American toads use mating calls which are croaks to attract females.
2,000-20,000 eggs per female per season.
Most toad breeds help the female after mating is complete, but American toads leave right after impregnating the female.
Causes of Death
Snakes, raccoons, and birds eat American toads.
Red leg syndrome is a fungal infection that may kill American toads.
American toads seem to be unfortunately affected by road kill while migrating.
Competition
Males compete with other males to impregnate females.
American toads don't have competition with other species besides a predator/prey relationship or competition over habitat.
Invasive species do not affect American toads.
IUCN Rating
Least concern.
Population has declined very slightly over the recent years, possibly die to pollution.
Impact of Humans
Deforestation has affected American toad habitat in a negative way.
People used to pee on toads to see if they were pregnant. If a human was pregnant the toad would start to develop eggs.
Planting new trees and stopping deforestation can create new habitat for American toads.
Page updated
Report abuse