Arroyo Toad The arroyo toad is a stocky, blunt-nosed, warty-skinned species of toad, between 5 and 7.5 cm long. It has horizontal pupils, and is greenish, grey or salmon on the dorsum with a light-colored stripe across the head and eyelids. It has light sacral and mid-dorsal patches, large, oval and widely-separated parotoid glands, and weak or absent cranial crests. The juvenile of this species are ashy-white, olive or salmon on the dorsal side, with or without black spotting. It has red-tipped tubercles on its back. Anaxyrus californicus prefers sandy or cobbly washes with swift currents and associated upland and riparian habitats, in Southern California and Baja California. It is active from March through September, but will be inactive even during that time in periods of cold or windy conditions.[1] The arroyo toad is evaluated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because of habitat destruction.
The Arroyo Toad is a relatively small (2-3 inches snout-vent length) frog. Its coloration ranges from olive green or gray to light brown. It can be distinguished from other toads by non-paired, symmetrical dorsal blotches, bicolored parotid glands that are dark posteriorly and light anteriorly as well as a light spot on the sacral humps. A prominent white "v-shaped" stripe crosses the top of the head between the eyes. It lacks a middorsal stripe. The belly is buff-white and often lacks spots. Locomotion is generally in the form of hopping as opposed to walking or taking large jumps.
The Arroyo Toad is a relatively small (2-3 inches snout-vent length) frog. Its coloration ranges from olive green or gray to light brown. It can be distinguished from other toads by non-paired, symmetrical dorsal blotches, bicolored parotid glands that are dark posteriorly and light anteriorly as well as a light spot on the sacral humps. A prominent white "v-shaped" stripe crosses the top of the head between the eyes. It lacks a middorsal stripe. The belly is buff-white and often lacks spots. Locomotion is generally in the form of hopping as opposed to walking or taking large jumps.
Tadpoles are difficult to distinguish from those of the Western Toad immediately after hatching, but changes in coloration, size and shape are apparent several weeks later. At hatching, the tadpoles of both species are small and black. Later, the Arroyo Toad tadpoles become tan as opposed to the darker color of the Western Toad larvae. The tadpoles are also more fusiform in shape as opposed to the globose shape of the Western Toad tadpoles. Western Toad tadpoles are communal, occurring in aggregates whereas Arroyo Toad tadpoles distribute themselves evenly within the pools they inhabit. After metamorphosis, toadlets appear as miniature adults with the exception of having yellow spots.
The Arroyo Toad inhabits coastal southern California from Salinas River Basin in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties to Arroyo San Simón in northern Baja California, México. It has been reported from Arroyo Grande near El Rosario based on a call; however
