Underground reproduction of Northern Toads?

[FB]

I have dozens of tiny Northern Toads in my well-watered garden here in
California's arid San Joaquin Valley.

The closest standing water is a quarter of a mile away, and I would
expect to see lots of squashed toads on the streets if they were
migrating from the ponds.

I can see that there are larger Northern Toads that survive the worst
heat and dryness of the summer by burrowing underground.

The sudden population explosion of Northern Toads in the late spring
and early summer
leads me to speculate that they are reproducing underground. Is this
likely?

[Chris McMartin]

Post by FB
The sudden population explosion of Northern Toads in the late spring
and early summer
leads me to speculate that they are reproducing underground. Is this
likely?

I've never heard of anyone citing underground reproduction of toads.
However, many toads can metamorphose through the larval stage quite quickly,
in order to take advantage of temporary water sources (drainage ditches
after a good rain, for example). The most extreme case I've heard of if
memory serves are the spadefoot toads which can go from egg to adult in a
matter of a couple of weeks.

I previously lived where Gulf Coast Toads (_Bufo valliceps_) were common and
experienced a similar phenomenon--no permanent standing water within a
quarter mile or more, but hundreds of tiny toads at the right time of year.

Chris
http://www.mcmartinville.com