Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
This species is easily recognized by its creamy-white dorsal stripe that runs down the center of its back and its dry, bumpy skin and horizontal pupils. This species usua…
How to identify
This species is easily recognized by its creamy-white dorsal stripe that runs down the center of its back and its dry, bumpy skin and horizontal pupils. This species usually has a pale belly with mottled black spots on it. It is a short, strong species of Toad with adults typically measuring 5,5 to 14,5 cm in length.
Range
The Western toad’s range is throughout much of western North America, from the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and into the southeastern portion of Alaska to Southern California.
Habitat
The Western Toad is found a wide variety of habitats including meadows, aspen groves and riparian forests, shrubby woodlands, and other deciduous forest habitats close to large bodies of water for breeding. Females in this species stay faithful to their breeding site for their entire lives which threatens this species as more of their natural habitat is being transformed by humans.
Variations
There are two known subspecies of the Western Toad. The first one is the Boreal toad (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) which can be distinguished by its lack of a cranial crest and an underbelly which is usually covered with numerous dark blotches. Their distribution is throughout western North America from British Columbia and Southern Alaska down South to northern California, Nevada, western Colorado, and western Utah. The other subspecies, the California Toad (Anaxyrus boreas halophilus) is found in extreme western Nevada throughout central and coastal California all the way south to Baja, California.
Similar species
There are other species of toads in central western North America but none of them have the same bumpy skin or the dorsal stripe on their backs like the Western Toad.
Name and etymology
Boreas: From Greek meaning northern
More illustrations
Boreal Toad
At a glance
Range
The Western toad’s range is throughout much of western North America, from the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and into the…
Habitat
The Western Toad is found a wide variety of habitats including meadows, aspen groves and riparian forests, shrubby woodlands,…
Guide
Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
Range map
Approximate range. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap