Who lives in the Upper Valley?

Male American Toads are between two and three inches long with a dark throat. In the breeding season their thumb pads are enlarged. The females are three to four inches in length and have light colored throats. In the breeding season they will often exhibit a reddish hue.

Frogs and toads do have their differences.

frogs	toads
- smooth, slimy skin - skinny, long legs - move by jumping - live on land & water - lay eggs in stacks More froggy facts	- bumpy, dry skin - fat, short legs - move by small hops - live mostly on land - lay eggs in straight lines

American Toads are of the true toad family, the Bufonidae, in which there are more than 335 species in the world. Bufo americanus is brown with large warts and large, oblong glands on the shoulders. Like all members of the Bufonidae family they lack teeth and ribs and they possess thick skin and short legs. They secrete a thick white toxin that is known to paralyze or even kill some predators.

Some facts to know:
Frogs and toads are amphibians.
* Amphibians are cold-blooded animals.
* Amphibians live both on land and in water.
* Amphibians outgrow and then eat their own skin.
* There are nine families of frogs in North America.

What other amphibians live in the Upper Valley?

Learn about another habitat - GRASSLAND