American Toad
Don Becker
Color varies from brown to brick red or olive green. A light stripe may be found along the middle of the back. No bump present on their snout. Easily mistaken with the Canadian toad.
Status in North Dakota
Year-round resident.
Range Map
American Toad potential range.
Reason for SWAP Designation
Becoming increasingly rare in the state.
Recent surveys have not recorded this species.
Potential to hybridize with the Canadian Toad.
Identified as a regional Watchlist species by the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Threats
Ephemeral wetlands in which the species naturally breed are at risk of destruction and/or degradation.
However, they may be tolerant of a broad range of habitats, even laying eggs in non-native sites such as ditches or flooded agricultural fields.
Forest habitat fragmentation.
Use of pesticides and herbicides may impact populations locally.
Disease such as ranavirus and chytrid fungus may be very detrimental to amphibian populations.
Hybridization with Canadian toads.
Research and Monitoring
- Currently research to evaluate their population on state Wildlife Management Areas in their range is on-going.
- Currently no dedicated monitoring is taking place. Possible monitoring options could include the general public through an application like Herpmapper, the NDGFD incidental reporting system, or national monitoring initiatives such as PARC. Monitoring should be directed at all herptile species.
Management Recommendations
- Protect ephemeral wetland habitats from drainage or filling.
- Avoid artificially extending the naturally short hydroperiods of wetlands in arid regions of the state.
- Avoid creating permanent water sources in areas where they are naturally lacking (e.g. southwestern North Dakota In arid regions of the state, restore the natural hydroperiods of wetlands that have been altered to create permanent water sources.
- Encourage the use of alternative water sources for livestock in arid regions of the state.
- Encourage the restoration of grassland habitats that were converted to stock ponds or dugouts.
Primary Geological Regions
Habitat Associations
Habitat Use
Considered a forest obligate species but can be found in most moist environments where plentiful insects, worms and snails are found for food.