Eastern American Toad

The eastern American toad is medium-sized and has a large, kidney-shaped gland called the parotoid gland behind each eye. The pupil of each eye is horizontal. May be gray, greenish-gray or various shades of brown. The dark spots on the back may encircle from one to three warts. The belly is white with dark gray mottling.  Their call is a sustained, high-pitched musical trill. There are two subspecies of American toads in our state: the eastern American toad (Bufo americanus americanus), described above, which generally lives in the northern half, and the dwarf American toad (B. americanus charlesmithi), which lives in the southern section. The latter is smaller (only about 2 inches, snout to vent) and more reddish-brown, with fewer, smaller or no dark spots on the back; belly is cream-colored with a few dark gray spots on the breast.