Red-Spotted Toad

Red-Spotted Toad - IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

That’s when I came across a horde of tiny toads

This photo of a red-spotted toad was taken while on a hike in Austin, Texas. I was hiking on a trail with my brother, Nick, who also serves as the scientific advisor for Wild Boyz Photography. We were exploring the trails that meander along Barton Creek on the Lost Creek Greenbelt. I had gone out to the creek bed to see if I could take any over under photos, whereby you put the camera halfway under the water and try to capture life above and below the water. That’s when I came across a horde of tiny toads. The one photographed here is smaller than the tip of my finger.

American Bullfrog

The red-spotted toad is also known as Baird’s spotted toad. The scientific name is Anaxyrus punctatus—formerly Bufo punctatus. As adults, this small species of toad only grows to be one and a half to 3 inches in length. It has a flat head and body and exhibits a gray olive or reddish-brown body with red and orange skin glands for which it is named. The juvenile toad looks much like the adult, but the spots are more distinctly red, and the underside of its feet are yellow. During mating season, the male develops nuptial pads, which is a swelling on the forearm that aids with grip.

The red-spotted toad is found in the east southwestern United States and Mexico. You can find this toad in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Seeing that I was in Austin, Texas when I took this photo, I was in the easternmost part of its range. You’re most likely to see one of these toads along rocky streams, creeks, or along riverbeds. They flourish in arid or semi-arid regions.

Green Frog

The red-spotted toad has a quick lifecycle. Eggs hatch within three days. Tadpoles can transform in as little as six weeks or as long as eight weeks if the area that they are living in is experiencing a drought, the toad will spend its time borrowed or beneath Bronx or within moist plant matter. When it rains, it will suddenly become active, and multitudes of individuals will emerge at one time.