During our recent field trip to the Donnelley Wildlife Management Area located in the ACE Basin, we encountered a Southern Toad ( Anaxyrus terrestris) while rummaging through some leaves, near a water source. The key to identification of this frog was its pronounced cranial ridges and crests that occur on the head. The overall color of this species varies from brown, black, and red. The certain toad we encountered was brownish-black with red outlining certain spots on its body. The Southern toad is in the family is in the Family Bufonidae, so parotid glands are also present, which are used as a defense mechanism to protect themselves from predators by excreting toxins. They occasionally have a light mid-dorsal stripe that is similar to the Oak toad (Anaxyrus quercicus), but it is not as prominent in the Southern Toad. This species is abundant in sandy soil areas and coastal plains. They commonly reproduce in shallow, unmoving ponds of water.
Another image of the Southern Toad we encountered
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