Characteristics:
This is a small frog, roughly 1in body length. Their back is variable in color, ranging from brown to gray to black and even reddish. Their belly is heavily mottled and they have no webbing between any of their toes. The head is narrow and pointed with a small fold of skin behind the eyes. This is a unique looking species that is not easily confused with anything else except for the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad in MO.
Habitat:
Often found in rather dry environments. They can be seen under rocks or logs in prairies and glades as well as in forests.
Behavior:
This odd looking little amphibian is actually a frog, despite being called a toad. They are unique in the fact that they eat a diet of almost entirely ants. They can pull their heads back under the fold of skin behind thier eyes to brush ants off of their face. They gather in large numbers in May to mate. They can be heard calling from flooded farm fields where they sit deep in chunks of vegetation. The eastern narrow-mouthed toad is listed as a threatened species in IL.
Personal Remarks:
One of my personal favorites when it comes to frogs. We rarely see them outside of their breeding season, so we always make it a point to go out and see them calling. The location we see them at is right near a road and it is one of the most heat-breaking things to see these smashed all over the road. Especially when you consider that this is a species that is declining in IL.
This is a small frog, roughly 1in body length. Their back is variable in color, ranging from brown to gray to black and even reddish. Their belly is heavily mottled and they have no webbing between any of their toes. The head is narrow and pointed with a small fold of skin behind the eyes. This is a unique looking species that is not easily confused with anything else except for the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad in MO.
Habitat:
Often found in rather dry environments. They can be seen under rocks or logs in prairies and glades as well as in forests.
Behavior:
This odd looking little amphibian is actually a frog, despite being called a toad. They are unique in the fact that they eat a diet of almost entirely ants. They can pull their heads back under the fold of skin behind thier eyes to brush ants off of their face. They gather in large numbers in May to mate. They can be heard calling from flooded farm fields where they sit deep in chunks of vegetation. The eastern narrow-mouthed toad is listed as a threatened species in IL.
Personal Remarks:
One of my personal favorites when it comes to frogs. We rarely see them outside of their breeding season, so we always make it a point to go out and see them calling. The location we see them at is right near a road and it is one of the most heat-breaking things to see these smashed all over the road. Especially when you consider that this is a species that is declining in IL.
