A chubby little frog

By Aaron Horrell

Because this tiny frog spends its adult life on the ground and away from water, it is called a toad. It stays in or on moist soil, often in dense vegetation or rotting wet wood.

This frog goes by the name Eastern Narrow-mouth Toad. It gets around on the ground much like a small toad, although it can scramble along in thick grass or weeds and hide much better than a toad.

The eastern narrow-mouth toad can grow to only about two inches long. It has a slick skinned rotund body with stubby legs. It is native to the southeastern United States and is relatively common in southeast Missouri. Its main diet is ants.