Taken at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden in May, which is breeding season for the toads here.

Male Toads converge upon wetlands and ponds when the water warms up sufficiently and immediately begin calling, as in this photo. Because they prefer shallow water you'll often find them along edges of ponds, as here, where dozens of breeding toads could be seen.

The wonderful trilling call of toads can be heard over a great distance. To create this unique and unmistakable sound, males find an exposed perch, such as a mat of cattails or a shallow part of the pond, and inflate their throat pouch (or vocal sac). If you find a toad whose throat is touching the water, you will see ripples expanding outward from the vibration of his vocal pouch.