Meet the American Toad

Well I just popped into school to check on the animals and I'm pleased to say, all is well in the science lab. The plants are green and healthy, the turtles are swimming around, the anoles are camouflaging, the walking sticks are having a population explosion (there must be more than 100 in the container now!) and the toads are sitting in their bowl of water.

So what are these toads exactly?

There are many toad species, but the toads in Room 409 are Eastern American Toads. They can be found in areas with lots of moisture and plenty of insects, like grassy areas and forests. A mature female toad is larger than an adult male, and her skin is much rougher in texture.  Males and females have spotted bellies, but males have darker throats. Toads have a very warty appearance, and the warts (raised swellings, not “real” warts) protect them from predators by secreting bufotoxin, an unpleasant white substance that is a mild, foul-tasting poison. By the way, YOU can't get warts from holding a toad, but you probably will get peed on.

Toads have knobs on their back feet that they use to shove dirt aside so they can sink into the soil and disappear. Sometimes students think the toads have escaped from their terrarium when they are in fact just nestled deep in the soil.

In addition to insects, toads like to eat worms, slug, spiders and just about anything they can fit into their mouths. And what likes to eat toads? Snakes, owls, skunks and raccoons. Toads can live up to 30 years!