Life History of Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center’s American Toad

Carpenter Nature Center’s American Toad was retrieved by a dog in August of 2011. The toad’s age is unknown. We do know the toad is a female, due to the whitish coloration under her throat.

Carpenter Nature Center’s toad is a wonderful ambassador, teaching thousands of visitors every year about our natural environment and the diversity of wildlife life found in our region. Our toad will live a comfortable life with humans, as she is provided with all the food she needs and safety from predators. She may live to be over ten years old.

It is common to find toads living near your home, especially if you have ponds or wetlands nearby. If you find a toad in your garden, you may welcome your new resident by installing a “toadhouse”, which may be as  simple as an inverted clay pot, with a large chip missing that acts as a doorway. Toads will use this shelter during the daylight hours.

Sadly 1/3 of the world’s amphibians are threatened or endangered. To help local amphibians please do not use pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.  These  chemicals enter local waterways and cause deformities in developing tadpoles and death in adult amphibians.

If you have an amphibian, such as a toad, frog or   salamander as a pet, please do not release it back to the wild. Your amphibian may not be a native species and could outcompete our local toads and frogs. If you can no longer care for your pet amphibian consider donating to a local nature center or to a classroom teacher.