It may take a few days before the female is ready to lay her eggs, so the male has to hang on until she does. At the same time when the eggs are laid, the male will fertilize them. The entire process occurs in the open water. Eggs are laid from March to July, but this depends on sufficient weather conditions and annual rainfall. Breeding season maybe extended in exceptionally wet years.
Eggs are small, dark, and laid in strings along the edges of pools with mild current velocities.
Tadpoles develop over an extended period of 65-85 days. The lengthy larval period makes them extremely susceptible to mortality during this time. The Arroyo Toad call is a long trill lasting 4-10 seconds that is roughly similar to some insect calls. Tadpoles are eaten by water bugs, garter snakes, bullfrogs, and a number of fish species. Toadlets and adults are attacked by killdeer, herons, garter snakes, and bullfrogs.