On our last and final field trip for herpetology class, we found a number of exciting species. One of my favorite finds was this little guy: Anaxyrus terrestris. Also known as the Southern Toad, this species of the Family Bufonidae is found throughout the southeastern United States and is best identified by its highly pronounced cranial knobs and crest on its head. Other physical characteristics include a plain stomach, color varies from brown to black, warty skin, horizontal pupil, and smaller kidney shaped parotoid glands. The habitat of the Southern Toad includes sandy areas, forest floors, marshes, and swamps. This particular toad was rather small (approximately 1.25 inches) meaning that it was likely a male since their is sexual dimorphism in Southern Toads where the male is smaller than the female. Like all toads, this one was found hopping along the pathway towards a ditch in the typical walking/short hopping as a primary means of locomotion (rather than large leaps). This made him rather easy to catch since there wasn't much chasing involved! Easy to hold on to too, that's my favorite kind of herp find!
Enjoy these adorable pictures!
.PNG)
2 comments:
This one was probably not quite mature, given the size. I didn't think to check for any sign of a vocal pouch - they throat is usually pretty obviously dark in mature males. Either way - adorable!
This little guy was adorable! I found a Southern Toad on the second to last field trip in some moist leaf litter hopping towards a pond, and I agree, it was definitely easier to hold on to than other herps!
Post a Comment