“If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not ...

Frogs will just have to share the award. When the Association of Zoos and
aquariums declared 2008 the Year of the Frog (which they did in order to call
attention to the global decline of frogs and other amphibians) they meant toads,
too—because toads are a type of frog. And toads are actually more likely to show
up in a typical garden, because they are more adapted than other kinds of frogs to
terrestrial habitats (as opposed to aquatic ones.)
What better way to celebrate than to roll out the red carpet for toads in your
garden? They’re easy to attract and they make great garden inhabitants.
Learn to recognize toads. There are many species of toads, but they typically
belong to the family Bufonidae. Toads generally have a stocky appearance, dry
skin, and short, thick legs with little webbing between their toes. They move
around by walking and raking short, quick hops rather than massive leaps or
underwater dives. Many sport tan, gray and brown patterns that camouflage them
in dry leaves or rocky terrain. These adaptations allow them to range further from
water for longer and survive in dryer ecosystems than other frogs.
Build a toad kitchen. To provide food for toads, select native plants for your
garden. This isn’t because toads eat plants—like all amphibians, they are
carnivorous, consuming any living thing they can capture with their sticky tongues
and stuff down their throats. Some large species tackle mice, snakes and even
other frogs, but insects and other invertebrates are the most common prey. You
have the best chance of attracting a healthy insect population—and thus, happy
toads—with native plants.
Dial back your level of control. Garden designs that are not overly tidy provide
good habitat for insects and shelter for toads. If you cringe at the thought of
providing habitat for insects, remember that toads are voracious predators that
will help keep pests in check. Toads are actually a far better method of pest
control than toxic chemicals, which don’t kill just insects—they kill toads,
too. Amphibians as a group are extremely sensitive to toxins, which they readily
absorb through their skin. And speaking of toad skin and toxins, toads don’t have
warts. The bumps on their skin are called aprotid glands, and they produce toxins
that make toads taste bad to predators. You CANNOT get warts by touching a
toad.
Give tadpoles a pool. Although adult toads are terrestrial, they rely on standing
water for their eggs and tadpoles. If you don’t have a lake or pond nearby, create a
simple garden pond. Bigger is better, but even small, prefabricated plastic pools
work, provided they have gradually sloping sides or plenty of vegetation and
branches dipping into the water to allow the toads easy entry and exit. Toads will