Photo and text by Maureen Flatley, Master Naturalist
As winter approaches and the temperatures gradually decline, it is time to burrow underground for this cold-blooded beauty, the American Toad.
Choosing an area of soft ground, these tenacious amphibians dig backwards (using their hardened back feet) and gradually recede under the soil. They need to get below the frost line to prevent freezing. Other protected locations for hibernations are old mammal burrows, decaying tree stumps, and crevices in rocky outcroppings. Toads benefit from a winter blanket of snow as additional protection from freezing.
Awakening from their winter torpid state requires springtime temperatures that rise above 40 degrees. In Door County we can expect to enjoy the male’s melodious mating trill (< cool video) starting in mid-May thru June.
