Let's Talk About Toads!

Last November, while harvesting sweet potatoes in the garden, I inadvertently unearthed a rather sleepy Western Toad who had been quietly going about her own business, hibernating in the damp soil of my garden bed.  Drowsy and cold, placid and plump, she let me hold her and photograph her before  I  gently returned her to the soft, moist soil of an out-of-the-way corner of the bed, where I hoped she would spend the winter.  

Over the winter, I thought about my toad friend a number of times, wondering how she was getting along in her hibernation, when she would wake, and what she would do when spring came, seeing as there is no body of water suitable for toads, to my knowledge, within hopping distance of our garden.  As a toad, she is able to survive and go about her life out of water; only the breeding stages of toads, which include egg-laying and tadpole stages, require water.  So, I surmised that she would be just fine provided the soil remains adequately moist, which it does thanks to drip irrigation.  

The biggest question I have, of course, is where she came from and how she managed to find her way into our fenced backyard.  (Aside: I am using female pronouns and assuming she is a female due to her massive size, bumpy skin and blotchy pattern.  I could be wrong!)  Our yard is tucked away in suburbia, surrounded by an agricultural landscape that is otherwise pretty arid.  Even so, I have found Western toads in a few irrigated park-like settings within a few miles of our yard, and Western toads are known for their adaptability.  She had to come from somewhere!  One source I found indicated that outside the breeding season, Western toads can migrate more than a mile from breeding ponds.  Clearly, one of these areas has been, in recent years, host to a breeding toad population!  And, even more surprisingly, at least one toad was able to successfully cross several roads, travel through yards and alleys, and make her way under fences to find herself in my garden bed.

According to Stebbins and McGinnis' Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California, 

"California habitats for the Western toad range from grassland, woodland, and meadows in forest areas to gardens and parks in the suburbs.  It breeds in ponds, slowly flowing streams, lakes, canals, and reservoirs...  Extensive gardens and yard landscaping often encourage its presence if a spawning site is nearby, and it is indeed a good neighbor to have."

I found this group of young Western toads one spring day a few years ago, hanging out on the banks of a slow-moving creek in the grasslands east of the Valley.

 

A week or two ago, while pulling out a bed of winter chard to make way for pole beans, I came across my little garden friend once again!  I was sorry to disturb her from her damp, shady retreat beneath the large chard leaves, but delighted to discover that she was still around!  As she was no longer hibernating, she was much more active this time around, and resentful of being held.  (Which I did just long enough to move her to a cool spot underneath the tomato plants.)

Western toads eat vast quantities of insects and other invertebrates, making them ideal companions in the vegetable garden.  If you find one of these treasures in your own yard, rejoice!  

Avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides, as toads and other amphibians have permeable skin that readily absorbs toxins from their environment.  Follow organic gardening practices, and consider welcoming these delightful pest control agents by providing a small pond for breeding, or even toad-sized housing.