Western Toad

Anaxyrus boreas

The Western Toad is a plump, bumpy little friend found in many places! They have a loud, croaky call and love to hop around in wet areas like ponds and streams.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Western Toad has warty, usually greenish-gray to brown skin, often with a light stripe down its back. Its prominent parotoid glands behind its eyes help distinguish it from frogs.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAmphibiaOrderAnuraFamilyBufonidaeGenusAnaxyrus

Western Toad

Interesting facts

A group of toads is called a knot!

Baby toads, called tadpoles, live underwater and eat plants!

Female toads lay thousands of eggs in long, jelly-like strings!

Toads absorb water through their skin, so they never need to drink!

Special abilities

Western Toad can dig backwards into soft soil using its hind legs to hide from danger and escape the sun.

Western Toad can lighten or darken its skin to better blend into its surroundings, making it a master of disguise.

Measurements & details

Length: 6-13 cm
Weight: 0.03-0.13 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 0.5 km/h
Clutch Size: 2000-16000
Metamorphosis: 30-80 days

Diet & Feeding

Western Toads are expert insect hunters, gobbling up many tiny creepy crawlies!

Age differences: Tadpoles eat tiny plants and algae; adults hunt insects.

Primary Foods

insects
spiders
slugs
worms
beetles
ants

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

eaten by

Terrestrial Garter Snake

Thamnophis elegans

Garter snakes are one of the few predators tolerant of toad toxins.

eaten by

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Crows and ravens can prey on Western Toads, especially younger ones.

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Raccoons might attempt to wash toads before eating them.

Traits

Spotted

Marked with spots or patches of a different color.

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Camouflaged

Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.

Insectivorous

This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

Longevous

This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.