Wyoming toad

Anaxyrus baxteri

The Wyoming toad is a special little frog that loves to live in wet places. It has a bumpy skin and can be found hopping around in the grass and mud near ponds.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Wyoming toad has grey-green to dark brown warty skin, often with darker spots and a pale stripe down its back. It possesses prominent parotoid glands behind its eyes. This toad is distinct from other toads by its slightly flattened head and lack of pronounced cranial crests.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassAmphibiaOrderAnuraFamilyBufonidaeGenusAnaxyrus

Wyoming toad

Interesting facts

Male toads sing loud, trilling songs to attract mates during springtime.

These toads spend chilly winters buried deep in the mud to stay warm.

They were thought to be extinct until a small group was found in 1991!

Wyoming toads are only found in a tiny part of Wyoming, nowhere else on Earth!

Special abilities

Wyoming toad has special glands that release a bad-tasting poison, which helps them deter predators.

Wyoming toad can blend into its muddy and grassy home because of its mottled skin patterns.

Wyoming toad can quickly snatch insects with its long, sticky tongue, which helps them catch fast prey.

Measurements & details

Length: 5-7 cm
Weight: 0.028-0.056 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 0.5 km/h
Clutch Size: 1000-6000
Metamorphosis: 30-45 days

Diet & Feeding

These toads are expert bug hunters, feasting on small insects they find on land.

Age differences: Tadpoles primarily graze on algae and detritus in the water before becoming insect-eating adults.

Primary Foods

Beetles
Ants
Flies
Grasshoppers
Crickets
Spiders

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

eaten by

Terrestrial Garter Snake

Thamnophis elegans

Snakes are common predators of adult toads and juveniles.

eaten by

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Raptors prey on toads when they are active near water.

eats

Red Wood Ant

Formica rufa

Ants are a primary food source for foraging Wyoming toads.

eats

Two-striped Grasshopper

Melanoplus bivittatus

Grasshoppers are a significant food source for these insectivores.

Traits

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.

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.