On the note of finding in hard soil here is what I have noted for local easterns in regards to prey:

Generally the toads will burrow in depressions that are easier to see from a distance than up close. The reason being water collects during raid and makes the soil a little more loose. If no depressions are available then they seek logs and discarded concrete rocks that have damp soil under them. I noted if I check a spot more than once a year it disturbed the micro-climate too much and ruins that spot, luckily I caught on after my first year. Easterns will be on the side of the depressions or in them while hunting, otherwise they seek shelter in higher spots that will drain and not flood out during rain, which may actually be why I don't find many burrowing. Florida is supposed to have more rain than in recent years except this past summer, which would explain why this year's hatchlings have been lower than larger adults which are more uphill. I am not familiar with the typical rain patterns in your area so it may be different (might be learned behavior).

The water table is rather high around here compared to almost everywhere else in Easterns' range, even for sand hills, which may cause the humidity to pick up too quickly if they burrow too deep. I have read in numerous care sheets that a humidity too high can cause skin lesions which I found on an eastern this past August in some flat woods in Wakulla County Fla while on vacation.

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