COMMON NAME(S): Western Toad

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Bufo boreas

CLASSIFICATION: Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae

DESCRIPTION: Length: 2.5-5 inches (tip of nose to vent)
General: Western toads are generally large with oval-shaped parotid glands located behind the eyes. Colors range from gray to green, with a bright light-colored stripe down the middle of the back. "Warts" are tinged with red and surrounded by black blotches. Males have a pale throat.

RANGE: Western toads are found along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia (Canada) to Baja, California and in non-arid areas of the western half of the U.S.

HABITAT: Toads are found near springs, streams and woodlands.

STATUS: General: Federal Species of Concern.
               WA State: Species of Concern.

DIET: Consists of insects and other small invertebrates.

REPRODUCTION: Breeding season extends from January to September. The male, by using its clasping thumb, stimulates the female to extrude 4,000-8,000 eggs and then fertilizes them externally. Eggs are laid in long gelatinous strings and deposited in shallow waters. Tadpoles emerge as soon as three days after eggs are laid. The larval stage lasts approximately two months as metamorphisis occurs.

LIFE SPAN: Undetermined at this time.

BEHAVIOR: When frightened, toads can increase their size by inflating air sacs inside the body. This allows them to wedge themselves tightly in rock walls or burrows, making it very difficult for a predator to extract them.

SOURCES: Peterson Field Guide Series, A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd Edition, Robert C. Stebbins
The Audubon Society Field Guide To North American Reptiles and Amphibians, John L. Behler & F. Wayne King