Has there been a decrease in the American Toad population?

[Ebenezer Frothingham]

I ask this, since toads used to be *everywhere* here in New England- now I have to go tracking to find them- There were a couple recent years when I didn't spot any toads at all. I'm convinced the toad population in the northeast has plummeted- maybe it's just a regional thing- Are wild American toads as commonplace as when you were a kid?

[John]

Good luck on your search. The problem I see with this is that without doing a scientific survey of populations, it's impossible to tell with certainty if the numbers have changed much.

[BG]

John,i visit the area where i grew up back in the 70's.There is not even one toad around. There used to be toads,and in june the froglets in the thousands would come out of the weeds. Now that area is finished .Its the powerful chemicals the gardeners use today. There was also garder snakes and tons of snails.. Now theres nothing.. This sommer i visited my cousin out east in LI ,and i found one toad ,and he was in bad shape. So what does that tell us. Sadly they sure did decrease!!

[Leefrogs]

lots of toads, lepord frogs, treefrogs, and cricket frogs here in upper Wisconsin. A walk in the evening is almost deffining. Even though there's been massive growth in the area, I have seen no significant changes here. I could spot 5 frogs a day without trying. It's probably the exeption, up here, since there's lots of lakes, creeks and swamps, with very little pollutants or industry.

[Malachi]

Tons of frogs and toads .... wildlife in general in Minnesota. Here in Iowa, I see a lot of American toads, as well as hear them in the spring.

[Ebenezer Frothingham]

John,i visit the area where i grew up back in the 70's.There is not even one toad around. There used to be toads,and in june the froglets in the thousands would come out of the weeds. Now that area is finished .Its the powerful chemicals the gardeners use today. There was also garder snakes and tons of snails.. Now theres nothing.. This sommer i visited my cousin out east in LI ,and i found one toad ,and he was in bad shape. So what does that tell us. Sadly they sure did decrease!!

Exactly. Not just toads, but fireflies as well. Summer nights used to have clouds of fireflies at my family farm in NH- it's been years since I've seen any fireflies in New England. Toads were once abundant, but now i need to overturn logs to find any

[Greg M]

As John said, it is hard to tell without a carefully done survey whether toads are changing in numbers. However, anecdotally, many of us have seen huge changes in the numbers of amphibians in our neighborhoods. In my neighborhood, toads are quite scarce now, even though their breeding places are intact. It is hard to believe that the spraying of lawns and gardens is not part of the problem. Anyone here willing to put their beloved pet frog or toad out on a sprayed lawn, or harvest bugs from an area where spraying is endemic? My belief is that none of us would. I have stopped having my lawn sprayed and have accepted that my lawn and garden is not perfect. I try to encourage others to do the same...

[pac]

i say they are going down for the winter i have one myself but where i collect my toads from theres lots in till the winter once winter hits there no more in till summer

[reptilia5]

Yeah the fire flies as well. And Whippoorwills.

[Psychotic]

Still tons of toads where I live. I live out in the middle of nowhere. I have 20 acres of farm land and a pond. All my neighbors also have similar acreage and land. I'm surrounded by farms. So no loss of habitat or harsh chemicals around here. Every night from early spring to late fall I can find tons of toads all around my house and barns. Just sitting there hanging out waiting for something tasty to cross their path. A lot of them come back to the same spots every night. I also have Fowler's toads. Not to mention all the spring peepers, green frogs and bullfrogs that hang out in my pond.

The only thing I've noticed a decline in is garter snakes, ribbon snakes, and green snakes. I used to find them all the time. Now I never see them around here anymore. But I do find them at my boyfriends place in a county over.

[reptilia5]

I grew up in central Arkansas back in the 80's. When I was a kid it was commonplace to see no less than 100 toads EVERY NIGHT in the spring and summer. They would come out of the woods by the dozens to hang out around our outside lights and gorge themselves on insects. I moved north in 2003 and went back home for a five day visit in July,2011 for the first time in 8 years. How many did I see during my five days at home??? One! One small toad.I also noticed that what was once a thriving population of Fence swifts,King snakes and Garter snakes were no longer thriving. It was heartbreaking for me.Habitat fragmentation and pollution is taking its toll everywhere,north,south,east and west. IMO frog owners should do everything they can to breed their animals and put the offspring back into nature. To some it may seem like trying to bail a leaking boat in the middle of the ocean but I think we as herp owners of domestic species should do all we can to help the animals we love. Just my two cents.

1 Dumerils boa
1 Lithobates palustris