A rustle among the leaves may reveal an American Toad, a welcome resident of our gardens. Beautifully camouflaged with gray and brown spots, they blend into moist, shady areas where they can easily find insects and worms to dine on. Yummers! They dig burrows in the soil to stay cooler in hot weather, then deepen their summer homes to hibernate over winter.

 

American Toads are typically nocturnal, though warm summer rains may bring them out during the day. Barring any fatal encounters with cars, females can live up to 20 years. Let’s toast to toads, our ugly-but-lovable neighbors!