Males reach sexual maturity in 1 year, and females at 1-2 years. Behavior Houston toads are primarily diurnal throughout most of the year. During the breeding season they are active during most hours of the day and night, with activity concentrated in the evening. During days before breeding nights the toads take solitary shelter in small mammal burrows. These burrows may be 1-40 m from a water source.
Tadpoles are nocturnal, spending the day at the bottom of their pool or pond.
At night they feed at the surface. The chief predators of adults are hogback snakes, herons, egrets, raccoons, skunks, and coyotes. Fire ants have been known to attack and consume young terrestrial toads. Adults are restricted to sandy soils and prefer wooded areas interspersed with open grass. They are also found in coastal prairies.