The Scoop
Bleats Like A Lamb
Eastern narrowmouth toads spend the daylight hours buried or hidden under leaves, logs and debris in moist places, and come out only at night. These toads seek shallow rain pools for spring breeding when they call from the water’s edge with their head protruding above the surface. Narrowmouth toads are small, flattened frogs with pointed snouts, very small mouths, and a fold of skin across the back of the head. They are usually found in varying shades of gray, brown, or reddish colors and can be easily identifiable by the heavily multicolored stomach. The call of the Eastern narrowmouth toad is a high drawn-out, insect-like “beeeeeeeeeeee.” Many liken it to the bleating of a newborn lamb.
Narrowmouth toads are small – only about an inch long. The diet of the Eastern narrowmouthed toad consists mostly of insects such as beetles, termites, and especially ants. They have been found feeding right at the openings to anthills. For protection hen feeding on ants, these toads have skin secretions, which can be irritating to human eyes. So for your protection, avoid handling these little toads. Eastern narrowmouth toads are explosive breeders and heavy summer rains trigger breeding. They are quite plentiful, and are not endangered or threatened – as yet!
