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| American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus (Holbrook, 1836). McHenry County, IL USA. This species' habitat ranges from forests to grasslands, agroecosystems, and suburban environments. It is widespread in eastern Canada and the eastern USA. It is the toad most likely to be encountered. The American toad is an explosive breeder, with most reproduction occurring over a period of just a few days for any given population. Formerly placed in the genus Bufo |
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Dwarf American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi (P. Smith, 1961). Photographed at Giant City State Park, Jackson Co., Illinois. Pair in amplexus Note that I am considering this a separate taxa here because Masta, et al. (2002, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 24: 302-314) found that it is in a distinctive mtDNA clade suggesting that it might be an independent lineage. Formerly placed in the genus Bufo. |
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| The Great Plains Toad, Anaxyrus cognatus. Cochise County, Arizona. Adults may reach 114 mm. It uses desert scrub and grasslands, but also agroecosystems, spending much of life underground. Breeding often occurs in conjunction with the monsoon rains of the summer, but may breed when spring rains occur. Females lay huge clutches of eggs (1330-45,000). Like most toads it feeds on a variety of invertebrates. Formerly placed in the genus Bufo. |
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| Fowler’s Toad, Anaxyrus folweri (Hinckley, 1882. Central Illinois, USA. Fowler's Toad was long considered a race of A. woodhousei, molecular evidence shows it to be distinct and most closely related to A. terrestris. This common toad ranges over much of the eastern USA, and it is known to hybridize with other toads. It appears to like sandy soil areas near streams, but will use agricultural fields with black soil. The specimen calling in the top photo may be a hybrid with A. americanus. The lower photo was an albino, captive specimen from Tennessee. Formerly placed in the genus Bufo. |
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Oak Toad, Anaxyrus quercus (Holbrook, 1840). Photographed in Alachua Co., FL, USA. A dwarf toad distributed on the Gulf Coastal Plain of the Southeastern USA. It is a dwarf toad with a maximum size of about 33 mm. It is abundant in Pine Woods. Formerly placed in the genus Bufo. |
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Southern Toad, Anaxyrus terrestris (Bonnaterre, 1789) |
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The Texas Toad, Anaxyrus speciosus (Girard, 1854) , Presidio Co., Texas, USA. This species ranges from Oklahoma, USA to the Mexican Plateau and the Gulf coastal Plain of Mexico. The Texas Toad prefers sandy soils and is common in short-grass prairies as well as mesquite savannas. Formerly placed in the genus Bufo. |
| North American Toads in the genus Anaxyrus range from Alaska and southern Canada southward to Mexico west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. There are about 22 species currently recognized in the genus. |