American Toad - Bufo americanus

• Diagnostic Features:
  • Size: 2 to 4.25 inches (50 to 107 mm)
  • Color:
    • Many are plain brown
    • If not, may be gray, olive, or red, with light-colored patches
  • Other:
    • Prominent eyes
    • Well developed cranial crests
    • Ventral surface light colored with dark spots on anterior part
    • Only one or two warts per dark spot
    • Short, sturdy legs, large spiny warts on dorsal surface of hind legs
    • Middorsal stripe may or may not be present
  • Similar species:
    • 
  • Sexual Dimorphism:
    • Males have a Dark throat
    • Males smaller than females
    • Males have horny tubercles on the first & 2nd fingers
• Natural History:
  • Habitat:
    • This frog's habitat varies widely from mountain wilderness to urban areas. Moist areas are required for shelter, and pools or small bodies of water are necessary for breeding.
  • Behavior:
    • It is nocturnal and feeds on insects and other invertebrates.
    • It hibernates in cold weather by burrowing into the soil.
    • Becomes less active in hot weather
  • Breeding:
    • Breeding occurs from February to March
    • The female lays two long strings of eggs in the water.
    • Usually breeds in temporary pools
• Voice: Sonogram - Call ( Franklin County )
  • Long musical trill lasting 6-30 seconds
  • Trill rate: 30-40 trills/second
  • Round vocal sac
    
• Tadpoles:
  • Metamorphosis occurs in about 2 months
  • Transformed size 7 - 12 mm
  • 
  • LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0;
  • eyes dorsal;
  • vent medial;
  • oral disc emarginate;
  • oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present;
  • dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; or, lower white part of bicolored tail muscle ca. 25% of basal muscle height;
  • appears black but abundant golden iridophores visible at slight magnification, often concentration of iridophores along top of tail muscle;
  • snout moderate, ca. 1.5 eye diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout;
  • length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 5.0; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3;
  • spiracle on longitudinal axis;
  • temporary pools and shallow parts of permanent lentic sites throughout most of designated area above Fall Line i.e., inland from Coastal Plain, breeds earlier than B. fowleri
• Range:
  • In North America, this toad is found in the northeast region. Its range extends north into Canada, west to the eastern edge of the Dakotas and south into the northern reaches of all of the Gulf Coast states, except Florida.
  • In Georgia, Bufo americanus is found above the fall line.

    

  • In Light Blue: Williamson, Gerald K. Moulis, Robert A., Distribution of Amphibians and Reptiles in Georgia, Special Publication No. 3, Savannah Science Museum, Inc. Savannah, Georgia, 1994
  • In Green: Sound Recordings
  • In Yellow: From Both '94 study and Sound Recordings
  • In Magenta: Photograph, not found by '94, may or may not be sound record
  • In Medium Blue: Photograph and in '94 study, may or may not be sound record
  • In Orange: County Record by other Herp Atlas Volunteers
  • In Red: US Distribution from various sources

September 9, 2006 - wwknapp@mindspring.com