Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Checklist of Amphibian Species and Identification Guide

Western Toad, Bufo boreas


Western toad
There are three subspecie of the Western Toad; the Boreal Toad, B. b. boreas (photos below); the California Toad, B. b. halophilus (shown at the bottom of the page); and the Amargosa Toad, B. b. nelsoni (not shown). The characteristics of this toad are the lack of cranial crests and the light middorsal stripe running down the back as in the two photos directly below. These characters usually separate this toad from other species. The parotid glands are relatively small and round to oval shaped. The warts are set in dark bltoches and are sometimes a red or rust color.
Western Toad juvenile Bufo boreas boreas
They are a fairly large toad reaching lengths up to 5 inches. When metamorphosing however, they are a very small toad being only about 1/2 inch in length. The middorsal stripe may be very faint to non-existent.
dorsal stripe ventral view Bufo boreas boreas

To the right is an example of the California Toad, B. boreas halophilus. They usually have considerably lighter markings on them compared to the Boreal Toad.

The Amargosa Toad, B. boreas nelsoni (not shown) has a very restricted range, being found only in the Amargosa River Valley (see map).

California Toad
Western Toad Range

Notice:  All images contained hereafter are the property of the said photographer. They are not to be reproduced, copied, printed, stored, or distributed without written permission of the photographer.

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URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/herps/amphibid/species/bboreas.htm
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Page Last Modified: August 3, 2006