Eastern American Toad

This is an eastern American toad, also called American toad.  They live in northeast North America in woodlands, prairies, wetlands, grassy lawns, and fields.  We sometimes see them in our yard.  They are good for gardeners because they eat lots of insects like grasshoppers, and they also eat worms, spiders, and slugs.  You can hear them in May, June, and early July.  Their call sounds like a high-pitched trill that lasts 10-30 seconds or longer.  They are a true toad.  In the winter, they burrow underground below the frost line.

If you want to see the same toad that is in the picture, you can find it at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha at their nature center.  We took this picture there last spring.