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• Western Green Toad

Scientific Name: Bufo debilis

This secretive toad is nocturnal, spending its days under rocks or in rodent burrows and other underground retreats. It is only readily found during and after periods of heavy rainfall, mostly in the spring and summer months, when it congregates in temporary pools of water to breed.

STATUS: Listed as “Least Concern” by the IUCN due to its wide distribution and presumed large population.

HABITAT: Semi-arid and arid areas of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

DIET: A variety of small invertebrates, including ants, moths, caterpillars, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and earthworms. (The Peterson Field Guide notes that “amphibians will eat almost any creature that moves if it is not distasteful and can be swallowed.” This note aptly describes the Western green toad’s diet.)

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: The Western green toad is small (2 inches long) and flattish. Its warty dorsal surface is green or yellow-green with discrete back spots and bars. The underside is white or cream. Males have dark throats; females’ throats are yellow or white. Parotoid glands are large and elongated; pupils are horizontal. Cranial crests are present but not prominent.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

When rain and thunderstorms create pools of water in a normally parched landscape, watch out! It’s breeding time for the Western green toads, and these amphibians have adapted handily to their temporary oases. Males gather first, buzzing and trilling in chorus to attract females. Within one to three days breeding occurs, after which a single female may lay over 1,000 eggs. Tadpoles are born after one day of incubation, and their metamorphosis into toadlets takes place in three weeks or less.

By the time the rain pool has evaporated, a whole new generation of Western green toads has come and gone.