If You Really Love Toads, Come to Torrington

Damn Northwest Connecticut, you sure do have a lot of wildlife. I had it good in Waterbury, maybe a bear sighting every year, a few racoons? Torrington is rife with critters. The latest animal invasion that I've noticed at home? Toads.

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I live in a condo complex in the South end of Torrington right by the Naugatuck River, over the weekend, our complex got invaded by dozens of toads. Every few feet on my walks with my little chihuahua, they were scurrying and leaping out of our path. One little guy let me get up close and I took this pic. I didn't know what kind of frog it was, so I did a little research.

It's not a frog, it's an Eastern American toad. Torrington and the Naugatuck River are being visited by thousands of newborns right now. According to wikipedia.com, toads are common through most of the Eastern and North-central US and Canada. Toads are usually 2-3 inches in length, and their skin can change color and pattern depending on their habitat, with shades of yellow, brown, or black.

Adult toads are mostly nocturnal, but what I saw over the weekend were a bunch of juveniles, wandering about in the daytime, hoping to hop across what they crave: worms, ants, crickets, slugs, and spiders. Toads are actually beneficial for your garden, and surprisingly tough, some can live as long as 30 years. If you pick one up, you won't get warts, or get high from licking it, but you will get peed on.