Nature Posts
Eastern American Toad
Eastern American Toad are native to Virginia. They range from 2 to 4” in length as grown adults, and have been known to live more than 30 years. As amphibians, they need a certain amount of moisture, but they can thrive with much less than most amphibians.
Like many amphibians, they secret a mild toxin, which can be very distasteful to mammals. It’s best not to kiss them, no matter how cute they are. Because they are so distasteful to so many predators, they are much less nervous when out and about, although they can hop away amazingly quickly when they want to.
In the spring they need to find a body of water to lay their eggs in, but they can have a home surprisingly far (1 mile) from water sources. They get around.
You can hear their long sustained trilling sound around wet places in the spring. In the summer, if they get too dehydrated, they will hunker down at home in a semi-hibernation until the next rain comes by. They can regain water by absorbing it through their skin.
For a deeper dive into Eastern American Toad, click this link
See and hear a toad trilling
(not our video)