The mating call of the male American Toad (anaxyrus Americans), in spring, is a high, trilling sound, like a telephone ringing. The female lays its eggs in two long strings that hatch in 2-14 days. The tadpoles are small, black and have skinny tails. They hide in shallow water with thick vegetation and are protected from predators by a noxious chemical secreted in their skin.
The little toadlets stay in the water for a while but then they migrate, en masse, to shady forest areas nearby. You might find that the trail you are walking on is suddenly covered by tiny toads.
Toads eat bugs, ants, spiders, slugs and worms. They are creatures of habit- they like to stay where they are, ideally where there is cool shade and a proximity to water. When it starts to get cold they dig backwards, vigorously, covering themselves with leaf mould and soil and they hibernate for the winter months.