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Canadian toads are short-legged amphibians. They are generally thick skinned, rough in appearance and covered with wart-like bumps with prominent oval or kidney-shaped glands over the shoulders.
The Canadian toad is generally grey-green or brown with a white to pale yellowish belly that may be spotted with grey. The voice of the Canadian toad is a short, soft trill that repeats about every 30 seconds. These toads range in length from 37 to 75 mm and weigh between 35 and 55 g. Their diet can consist of beetles, ants, bees, wasps and spiders.
Canadian toads live on land except for a brief period in spring when they gather to breed in ponds and shallow edges of lakes or slow flowing rivers. Toads, unlike frogs lay their eggs in strings, typically producing two strings simultaneously.
The hard projections found on their hind feet are used for digging. Toads dig backwards using a shuffling motion so they sink into the ground. Canadian toads hibernate by digging deep into the earth as the frost penetrates below the surface.
The Canadian toad appears to be uncommon in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and is known only around the Fort Smith area. It is probably limited to areas where it can dig easily and the ground freezes only to a relatively shallow depth. This species has declined in abundance in some other parts of western Canada in recent years.