Description
This toad is usually green or brown with a light stripe down
the back. Like all toads, it has a dry, warty skin. The warts may be reddish
brown and are surrounded by black marks. Unlike other toads it has no cranial
crests although it does have oval parotid glands.
The belly is pale with dark mottling. Adults reach up to 12 cm in size.
Call
The breeding call is a quiet peeping like little chicks.
Confusing Species
The Western Toad is the only true toad found in British Columbia.
Along the eastern edge of its range in Alberta, it may overlap with the
Canadian Toad which has cranial crests fused
into a bony hump between the eyes.
Distribution
The Western Toad is found throughout most of British Columbia,
the west central third of Alberta and just into the south east corner of
the Yukon as well was much of the western United States.
Habitat
This species can be found in boreal forest, sub-alpine and alpine
environments up to 3000 m elevation. It is usually near ponds, streams,
rivers and lakes but often shelters in loose, moist soil or rodent burrows.
Breeding takes place in small shallow ponds and pools, often with a sandy
bottom.
Reproduction
Breeding takes place from April to June. Long strings of up
to 16,500 eggs are laid and entwined around submerged vegetation. These
hatch in three to twelve days. Larvae transform in six to eight weeks.
Natural history
Western Toads are usually nocturnal except at high elevations.Their diet
includes worms, slugs and insects. Unlike most toads, western toads walk
rather than hop. When disturbed they may exhibit a defensive posture by
raising on their legs and puffing up with air. This makes it harder for
predators to swallow them. They take two to three years to mature and can
live up to 35 years in captivity.
Conservation Concerns
There is no evidence that Western Toad populations are declining
in Canada although it has declined in parts of the United States such as
Colorado. Hatching success of Western Toad eggs may be reduced by increased
UV radiation.
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