This is missouri's most common toad. The pupil of each eye is horizontal. Coloration may be gray, light brown, or reddish-brown. The dark spots on the back may encircle from one to three warts. The belly is cream-colored and mottled with dark gray.
Females generally are larger than males.
American toads select woodland ponds or water-filled ditches for breeding, which occurs during april and early may. The call is a sustained, high-pitched musical trill. This species eats earthworms and a wide variety of insects. A common toad of lowlands, this species may have a ground color of gray, greenish-gray, tan or brown. The dark markings on the back normally encircle three or more warts.