That’s right folks, it’s toad week! Toad week is kind of like shark week, only without all the teeth and, well, sharks. Despite the fact there are no sharks involved at all, it’s still pretty cool.
In ponds, rivers and streams all through the area, the American Toads are taking to the water and looking for mates. Unlike their froggy cousins, toads don’t spend all year around the water. Each year during mating season the males find some water and begin calling out. These calls alert other males about the nearby water and also attract females that are searching for mates. Soon a pond that only had a single toad in it is filled with all the nearby toads answering to the first call and adding their own.
Once a male has attracted a female he will climb onto her back and ride her around while she finds the perfect place in the water to lay her eggs. After she has selected what she feels is the right spot she will begin to release her eggs into the water. As the eggs are released the male will fertilize them. The female will move around as she lays thousands of eggs in strings between 20 and 60 feet long.
Toad eggs in the water
Depending on how warm the water is, the eggs will start hatching in 3 to 12 days. After hatching the tadpoles will swim around for a little more than a month while they develop into full fledged toads. They may remain near the water for a while as young toads, but they will eventually wander off to inhabit nearby fields, forests, meadows and backyards.
Tags: Add new tag, Animals, Toads
