Amphibian · GBIF taxon 2422882
Anaxyrus cognatus
anaxyrus cognatusAlso known as Great Plains Toad
Great Plains toads spend hot summer days buried underground in loose soil, emerging at dusk to hunt insects across grassland ecosystems. During spring rainstorms, males gather in temporary flooded pools to produce long, explosive, trilling calls that can be heard up to a mile away. Their distinct broad dark blotches bounded by pale outlines provide excellent camouflage among prairie grasses and dirt tracks.
AmphibianNocturnalBurrowing
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Beetles
- Ants
- Cutworms
Predators
- Western Hognose Snake
- Coyotes
- Great Blue Heron
ThreatsHabitat fragmentation, road hazards, and agricultural chemicals
HabitatsPrairies, grasslands, and agricultural fields
Life spanUp to 10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderAnura
- FamilyBufonidae
- GenusAnaxyrus
- Speciesanaxyrus cognatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Parotoid gland secretions are toxic to pets if ingested; wash hands after handling and keep dogs away.
- Why it is dangerous
- Secretes bufotoxins from parotoid glands behind the eyes, which can cause profuse foaming, nausea, and mouth pain in pets that mouth the toad.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Look for distinct pair-arranged dark blotches outlined in white or yellow along the back and prominent parotoid glands.
- What to do
- Observe without handling, keep pets on a leash near rain pools, and wash hands thoroughly if physical contact occurs.
Responsible observation
- Night Observation: Use a red flashlight along rural roads after heavy summer rains to spot active individuals.
- Breeding Calls: Listen near flooded fields in late spring for their loud, machine-gun-like trilling calls.
- Pet Safety: Keep curious dogs away from toads at night to prevent oral exposure to toxic skin secretions.
Competitor (c) Dustin Snider, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dustin Snider · cc-by
Predator (c) Peter Paplanus, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Cephas / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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