(WFRV) – It’s Amphibian Week, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is hopping into celebration by spotlighting one of the state’s most helping, and often misunderstood, residents: the American toad.
The DNR says Wisconsin is home to 12 species of frogs, and while not all frogs are toads, every toad is indeed a frog. Unlike their own slippery frog cousins, toads tend to be drier and spend more time on land, often venturing farther from water.
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The most common frogs and toads in Wisconsin, according to the DNR, include the American Bullfrog, American Toad, Boreal Chorus Frog, Cope’s Gray Treefrog, the Gray Treefrog, the Green Frog, the Mink Frog, Northern Leopard Frog, the Spring Peeper, and the Wood Frog.
Both the Mink Frog and Pickerel Frog are labeled as “Special Concern” in Wisconsin due to their complex habitat range.
According to DNR experts, their bumpy skin doesn’t cause warts but instead helps them blend into their surroundings and deters predators with a smelly secretion.
The DNR posted to Facebook saying toads are a great sign of a healthy yard since they’re natural pest controllers, feeding on insects that gardeners and homeowners would rather not have around.
To help keep your yard frog and toad-friendly, the DNR recommends:
- Creating mini habitats with shady spots, brush piles, rocks and leaves.
- Leaving a 5 to 10 foot unmowed buffer along shorelines or wet areas to support the habitat and reduce erosion.
- Adding a water source, such as a shallow birdbath at ground level, to attract amphibians.
To lean more about frogs, toads and how to support amphibians in your backyard, visit the Wisconsin DNR’s herpetology page.
