Photo by: Will Flaxington
Arroyo Toad
Anaxyrus californicus
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Endangered
(fws.gov)
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U.S. Endangered Species Act
(fws.gov)
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Arroyo Toads face stress from the populated and urbanized areas they inhabit. Pollution, agricultural, and urban development encroach on their habitats. Non-native plant and animal species, as well as natural disturbances such as drought and climate change, create threats to their survival (fws.gov).
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From central and southern coasts of California to northwest Baja California in Mexico (fws.gov).
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For a thriving environment, narrow and shallow aquatic habitats are necessary. These consist of slow waters surrounded by nearby hills, dispersed vegetation, and sandy gravel with rocky soils. Larvae and tadpoles inhabit areas with clay, sand, and gravel, while metamorphosized juveniles prefer sand and gravel bars for optimal food locations. Arroyo toads are adaptive to varying climatic and weather conditions ranging from the heat of summers in California and Mexico to below freezing temperatures and moderate rain during the winter (fws.gov).
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Further data on how seasonality can affect the amount of Arroyo toads, specifically during overwintering, and what is necessary to keep their numbers during this time would be valued research.
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Arroyo toads are small, ranging from 2-3.5 inches as adults. Theu have a blunt snout a stout body shape with warts on top of spots on the dorsal and posterior sides of their body. Body colors span from gray, dark olive, and brown. Juveniles contain little or no spots with a gray or light brown colored body and yellow tubercles. Tadpoles begin as a deep black, then lighten to a brown with white-tipped tails as they mature. Arroyo toads often get confused with the California toad. They physically look similar, but arroyo toads contain “V” shaped white facial lines and dark spots on their anterior side. The breeding calls also differ between the two species (fws.gov).
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