This Holiday Weekend, Reflect On The American Toad

As I stand here on the shores of Lake Massapoag on this beautiful blue sky morning, I notice hundreds of small dark tiny toads leaving their watery world and making their way onto the dry land looking for somewhere to stake a claim.

On this Friday before the Fourth, it is only fitting to find out that these little pioneers are called American Toads.

I am immediately interested in these little creatures because like many young boys growing up in the woods of New Hampshire, I got hooked on amphibians at an early age. 

I have early childhood memories of catching tiny black tadpoles in a sandy-colored pond next to the railroad tracks in my hometown.  I would walk the tracks looking for turtles that were basking on the old wooden railroad ties and then I would explore the ponds where he lived which were always full of tadpoles.  

An even earlier memory brings me back to my father’s uncle's cabin in Maine.

My dad would row me through the thick lily pads, and I would dangle red artificial flies in front of the big eyes of a bullfrog until he could no longer resist and then suddenly leap out of the water and grab the fly. 

The amphibian life cycle is amazing. Frogs begin their lives in water because amphibian eggs do not have shells and they must be kept moist.  During the mating process, the male frog grasps the abdomen of the female and helps her squeeze up to 200 eggs, fertilizing them as they fall through the water.  The eggs are coated with a sticky jelly that anchors the egg mass and nourishes the developing frogs. 

These particular toadlets, which get their name because they are found throughout North America, seem to be covering every square yard of earth on this fine summer morning, but I am sure Mother Nature will balance the population out sooner than later.  Two snakes in particular, the garter and eastern hognose, specialize on eating toads. The snakes are immune to the poisonous milky fluid that is produced under the toad’s warty skin.  I can picture the snakes leaving their rock wall caves today with the search image of the American toad fresh on their minds.

As the fireworks ignite this weekend above thousands of North American lakes, celebrating our countries 237th birthday, a million little toads will bravely make their way across the dark landscape in search of food, shelter, and a life free of danger. 

I hope they find it.