American toad American toad The American toad ("Anaxyrus americanus") is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is divided into three subspecies—the eastern American toad ("A. a. americanus"), the dwarf American toad ("A. a. charlesmithi"), and the rare Hudson Bay toad ("A. a. copei"). Recent taxonomic treatments place this species in the genus "Anaxyrus" instead of "Bufo". The eggs of the American toad are laid in two strings and can hatch in 2–14 days. When hatched the tadpoles are recognizable by their skinny tails in relation to the size of their black bodies. They may
Couch's spadefoot toad used by the toads to burrow into the ground to prevent water loss and hide from predators. There are two spadefoot species in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California. Couch's spadefoot toad ("Scaphiopus couchi") has a sickle-shaped "spade", whereas the western spadefoot toad ("Spea hammondii") has a rounded "spade". Spadefoots are not true toads and should therefore simply be called spadefoots. Couch's spadefoot toad is native to the United States southwest of southeastern Colorado and central Oklahoma, northern Mexico and the Baja peninsula. They can be found throughout the Sonoran Desert, which includes parts of southern Arizona and California.