True toads are differentiated from frogs by prominent bony ridges (called cranial crests) on top of their heads, and conspicuous swellings (parotoid glands) behind their eyes. These parotoid glands are a defense mechanism against predators (including cats and dogs), as they will secrete a toxic fluid if punctured. The many warts covering a toad’s body also secrete a similar toxin. However, despite the toxin’s deterrent effect on predators, toads are not poisonous to touch (and they do not cause warts in humans if handled). 

American toads (Bufo americanus) are the most commonly found toad species in the northeastern United States, and can be found in habitats ranging from mountain forests to suburban gardens. They range in size from 2 to 4 inches in length, and although their color can be highly variable, they tend to have orangish warts in each of the dark spots on their backs. 

Mating for American toads typical occurs in quiet bodies of water in the spring, so I was surprised to find a number of egg masses, tadpoles, and adult American toads within the Esopus Creek in the Catskill Mountains in New York in late June. Although they have been reported as using the shallows of rivers for breeding, it seems like quite the gamble. The day I was there, there were plenty of shallow, calm eddies along the edges of the river, but rivers like the Esopus can change quickly after a heavy rain storm, shifting quickly from a gently flowing knee deep river to a fast moving torrent. 

American toad tadpoles schooling in the shallow areas of the Esopus Creek. 

To mate, a male toad clasps a female firmly from behind, his grip facilitated by rough pads on the toes of his forelimbs. The pair will float together for some time before egg laying begins. When it does, unlike frogs that lay their eggs in roundish masses, American toads lay their eggs in long paired strings, which are fertilized by the male as they pass out of the female’s body. Eggs take approximately a week to hatch. The black tadpoles that emerge will often school together while they feed on suspended matter, algae and plants. After four weeks of development, they will emerge on land as dark toadlets less than a half inch in size and disperse into the woodlands. 

A double strand of eggs laid by an American toad. 

Although the gelatinous mass around the eggs is clear, sediment and other particles can build up on the strands.