Amphibian · GBIF taxon 2422865
Anaxyrus woodhousii
anaxyrus woodhousiiAlso known as Rocky Mountain Toad, Woodhouse Toad
Woodhouse's toads spend daylight hours buried in soft soil or hidden under debris, emerging at dusk to hunt insects around artificial light sources and damp lowlands. Males announce spring breeding seasons with a distinctive sheep-like bleating call from shallow ponds and flooded fields. Their dry, warty skin and large parotoid glands protect them from many predators while retaining moisture in arid western environments.
AmphibianNocturnalBurrower
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Beetles
- Ants
- Earthworms
Predators
- Garter Snakes
- Crows
- Raccoons
ThreatsHabitat loss, road mortality, agricultural pesticides, and prolonged drought
HabitatsGrasslands, deserts, river floodplains, agricultural lands, and gardens
Life span10 to 12 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAnura
- FamilyBufonidae
- GenusAnaxyrus
- Speciesanaxyrus woodhousii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Secretes mild bufotoxins from parotoid glands, toxic to pets if ingested; observe without handling.
- Why it is dangerous
- Skin secretions from parotoid glands contain bufotoxins that cause oral irritation, drooling, and vomiting in pets if mouthed.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for prominent elongated glands behind the eyes and a light dorsal stripe down the middle of the back.
- What to do
- Avoid picking up with bare hands and immediately rinse your hands or a pet's mouth if contact occurs.
Responsible observation
- Nighttime Spotting: Search damp gardens, porch lights, and stream margins on warm humid evenings.
- Pet Protection: Keep dogs on leashes during nocturnal walks to prevent ingestion of skin toxins.
- Backyard Habitat: Maintain loose soil, leaf litter, and rock piles to provide moist daylight shelters.
Predator "Plains Garter Snake" by Greg Schechter is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Close Relative Cephas / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) brybrysciguy, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) J Brew, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by J Brew · cc-by-sa
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