Sonoran Desert Toad

Incilius alvarius

The Sonoran Desert Toad is a big, friendly toad that lives in the warm Sonoran Desert. It has a bumpy, greenish-brown skin that helps it blend in with its sandy home.

Lebensraum: Desert

Aussehen

The Sonoran Desert Toad is a large, stout amphibian with smooth, olive-green or brownish skin, often sporting prominent parotoid glands behind its eyes. Its relatively smooth texture and impressive size distinguish it from many other desert toads.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseAmphibiaOrdnungAnuraFamilieBufonidaeGattungIncilius

Sonoran Desert Toad

Kategorie

Amphibien

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

2/5 · Gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Tadpoles of this toad can speed up their growth if their pond starts to dry out, a super survival trick!

Their eyes glow gold or green in the dark when light shines on them, perfect for spotting prey at night!

They make a unique low-pitched 'whooo' sound during mating season, heard only at night!

This toad is one of the biggest native toads in North America, growing longer than your hand!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Sonoran Desert Toad has powerful glands that produce a potent toxin, which helps them defend against most predators.

Sonoran Desert Toad can absorb water directly through a special patch of skin on its belly, keeping them hydrated in dry deserts.

Sonoran Desert Toad can use its strong legs to quickly burrow into the sand, helping them escape heat and hide from predators.

Maße und Details

Länge: 10-19 cm
Gewicht: 0.15-0.9 kg
Lebenserwartung: 5-15 Jahre
Top Speed: 2 km/h
Gelegegröße: 2000-8000
Metamorphose: 20-45 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

This hungry toad munches on creepy crawlies, small rodents, and even other amphibians to stay full!

Altersunterschiede: Tadpoles graze on algae; adult toads are strict carnivores.

Hauptnahrung

Beetles
Crickets
Spiders
Small lizards
Rodents
Other amphibians

Nahrungssuche

Ambush

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Raccoons sometimes brave the toad's toxins for a meal.

eaten by

Gopher Snake

Pituophis catenifer

Some snakes are resistant to the toad's defensive toxins.

hunts

Desert Millipede

Orthoporus ornatus

Adult toads frequently feast on these slow-moving desert invertebrates.

hunts

House Mouse

Mus musculus

Larger toads are known to ambush and eat small desert rodents.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Getarnt

Getarnt beschreibt Organismen, die über eine Färbung oder Musterung verfügen, durch die sie mit ihrer Umgebung verschmelzen.

Insektenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Organismen, deren Nahrung hauptsächlich aus Insekten und anderen kleinen Wirbellosen besteht.

Wüste

Wüstenlebensräume sind trockene Regionen, die durch extrem geringen Niederschlag und oft extreme Temperaturen gekennzeichnet sind und eine spezialisierte Flora und Fauna beherbergen.