Can Toads Live Underground?

The American toad, Anaxyrus americanus (formerly Bufo americanus) typically hibernates underground, below the frost line. In the Northeast, toads are driven into their burrows sometime between September and October and re-emerge from April to May.

How long can a toad live underground?

Once they're deep in the dirt, five to ten feet deep, they stay there until Mother Nature produces another puddle. That could be five to ten years. That's right: a spadefoot toad might hunker down for a decade. It will be just fine as long as the toads are deep.

Do toads make tunnels?

Toads prefer to burrow into loose soil, moving the soil out of the way with their strong hind legs and backing into the hole until it collapses on their heads. They may burrow as deep as 1 or 2 feet below the surface in order to escape the frosts that are soon to arrive.