Toad Chorus
Personal memory by Bart Johnson
1957 • Ann Arbor, MI, USA
We had a pond in our backyard on the outskirts of Ann Arbor that was the natal pond for tens of thousands of Bufo americanus (American toad). Every spring, the trills of hordes of returning toads seeking mates would leave me in awe at night. I struggled to stay awake as long as I could to hear their haunting contrapuntal harmonies through my bedroom window. Never since then have I heard or seen so many toads in a single place. The city has grown up around the pond and I doubt if there are many who have survived urbanization.
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