On most other days they spend their time in underground burrows. American Toads can live 5-10 years in natural settings, and they have been known to live up to 35 years in captivity. The warts that cover the bodies of these toads, along with the large paratoid glands on their shoulders, secrete a white toxin that makes predators sick if they eat them. American Toads can also inflate their bodies to make themselves appear larger, and they can also curl into a rounded form to make it difficult for a predator to grab on and to it. The actual breeding period lasts about two weeks or less in each breeding population.
Breeding is sometimes very explosive and lasts only three to four days.
Males are not territorial. They form choruses and attract females to them by calling. Males actively search for females while moving around in the water or on land, and males often fight for possession of females. The call of the males to attract females is a long, trill that lasts about thirty seconds. Each female lays up to 8000 eggs in one clutch.