Toad Family

Bufonidae

Toads have rough, warty skin, hop rather than leap, and possess horizontal pupils.   Skin gland secretions contain toxins which deter predators.  Toads have enlarged parotoid glands on each side of the neck over or behind the tympanic membrane.   Toad species can often be distinguished by differences in skin coloration and pattern, in the shapes and sizes of parotoid glands and cranial ridges, and in the number and prominence of warts on the skin.

Toads breed in the spring or summer in the north, and may breed year round triggered by rains in more southern latitudes.  Males congregate at breeding ponds and call to attract females.  Breeding males have dark nuptial pads on their thumbs and inner fingers, and their throats are typically darker than those of females.  In most toad species, females are larger than males.  Eggs are usually laid in strings attached to vegetation.  Eggs hatch into small black tadpoles which metamorphose after several weeks to a few months.

Big Bend National Park Amphibian Species
Shenandoah National Park Amphibian Species

PRIMENet Amphibian Monitoring Program Homepage