Gastrophryne carolinensis
Description: The eastern narrow-mouthed toad is a small, plump toad with a small triangular-shaped head and a tiny mouth. The limbs are short and the toes lack webbing. The narrow-mouthed toad has a fold of skin across the head just behind the eyes, and it lacks a visible tympanum (external eardrum). It is usually dark colored, ranging from gray to reddish brown, often with a broad, irregular light band running down each side.
Habitats and Habits: Narrowmouth toads are found in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont. They are nocturnal, spending the daylight hours buried or hidden under leaves, logs and debris in moist places. Eggs are black and white and are laid on the surface of the water. Tadpoles change into little frogs three to 10 weeks after eggs are laid.
Call: Breeding occurs between April and October and usually takes place during or after heavy rains on warm nights. Males call from clumps of vegetation along pond edges or ditches. Their call is a high-pitched “weeeeee,” similar to the bleat of a lamb or calf.
Frog Fact: The skin secretions of narrow-mouthed toads can be irritating to human eyes and mucous membranes. These secretions protect the toads when feeding on ants — their primary food source.
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad Call
