Take 5: Toads and Toadlets

People are starting to report hundreds of tiny toads emerging from ponds. The American toad lays its eggs in April, and its tadpoles transform into terrestrial toadlets in early summer. Our other toad species, the similar-looking Fowler’s toad, has a mostly spotless belly and usually breeds later. These two species sometimes interbreed. Take in the warty charm of toads with these five photos from past editions of our Photo Contest, and read more about frog and toad species in Massachusetts.