Amphibians
Southern Toad
Anaxyrus terrestris · also called southern toads
A southern toad can vanish into loose sand in seconds, digging backward with blade-like structures on its hind feet whenever the heat, dryness, or a predator gets to be too much. Distinctive bony knobs on its head are the easiest way to pick it out from the several similar toads sharing its range across the southeastern United States.
Overview
The southern toad, Anaxyrus terrestris, is a common amphibian of the southeastern US, easily identified by prominent bony cranial ridges ending in noticeable knobs. It hunts a wide range of insects at night and shows strong tolerance for sandy soil, whether natural, agricultural, or residential.
Built to dig, built to defend
Hardened hind feet let it burrow into sand within seconds, while parotoid glands behind the eyes secrete a bitter, mildly toxic defence against predators. Males produce a high-pitched, sustained musical trill during breeding choruses after warm rain.
Status
Least Concern — common and widespread, thriving across both natural and human-altered sandy habitat throughout its southeastern US range.
Southern Toad: common questions
How can you tell a southern toad apart from other similar toads?
The most reliable identifying feature is the pair of prominent, raised bony ridges, called cranial crests, running between and behind the eyes, often ending in distinct knobs, a combination not shared in quite the same form by several similar toad species found in overlapping parts of the southeastern United States. Careful attention to this head ridge pattern, along with general size and colouration, helps distinguish the southern toad from close relatives such as the American toad and Fowler's toad where their ranges overlap.
How fast can a southern toad dig itself into the ground?
Using hardened, blade-like structures on its hind feet, a southern toad can dig backward into loose, sandy soil remarkably quickly, often disappearing beneath the surface within just a matter of seconds when conditions call for it, whether to escape the heat of the day, avoid drying out, or evade a potential predator. This efficient digging ability is closely tied to the species' strong preference for sandy soil habitat, which is considerably easier to burrow through quickly than denser or rockier ground.
Is the southern toad's skin secretion dangerous to pets?
The bitter, mildly toxic secretion produced by the parotoid glands behind the eyes is primarily meant to deter predators by causing an unpleasant taste and mild irritation, and while it can cause drooling, discomfort, or mild illness in a dog or other pet that mouths or bites a southern toad, it is not generally considered highly dangerous to a healthy adult pet in a typical brief encounter. Pet owners are nonetheless generally advised to prevent pets from repeatedly mouthing toads and to rinse a pet's mouth with water if significant contact occurs, out of general caution.
Where does the southern toad prefer to live?
The species shows a strong association with sandy soil specifically, since this substrate is much easier to burrow through quickly than denser soil types, and it tolerates a wide range of habitats built on or containing sandy ground, including natural forest and grassland as well as agricultural fields, gardens, and areas near residential development. This flexibility across both natural and human-altered sandy habitats is a significant reason the southern toad remains so common and widespread across the southeastern United States.