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| Dwarf American Toad Scott County, Arkansas |
Here in Texas however it has a much more restricted range. It is only known from a few counties in north-eastern part of the state. It's range in Texas isn't fully understood because it is very difficult to distinguish from the more common Fowler's Toad.
I still haven't seen an American Toad in Texas :-( so these photos and this recording come from nearby Arkansas.
In many areas of the northeastern US, this is a common "yard toad". They are variable in general color ranging from brownish-black to bright reddish. They often have dark spots on their back. There is usually a light mid-dorsal stripe visible and a lighter stripe running from the tympanic membrane (ear) down towards the hind leg. These lighter stripes are sometimes obscured by the ground color.
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| American Toad Fairfield County, Connecticut |
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| American Toad North Carolina |
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| Dwarf American Toad Ouachita County, Arkansas |
They breed in spring into early summer. When they breed successfully, you can often find their distinctive helical strings of black eggs in nearby ponds and streams.
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| American Toad Eggs Scott County, Arkansas |
The call of the American Toad is a very long, high-pitched trill. It lasts from 5 seconds to over 30 seconds. The Dwarf American Toad subspecies has a slightly higher pitched call than the typical larger northeastern subspecies.
Here is an American Toad from the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas calling from the middle of a forest road low water crossing.
Here's a video shot by Tim Evans of that frog making its call.
© Chris Harrison 2017
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