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I just found this toad on a sidewalk near a lake the elevation was probably somewhere around 4800 ft (1500m).

enter image description here

Does anybody know what kind it is?

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  • Lick it and find out!
    – Darren
    Commented Jun 17, 2019 at 13:00

1 Answer 1

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Note: This answer has been revised based on a higher quality photo

I am not a toad expert, but I think it is likely a Woodhouse's Toad based on this handy guide. One of the key features is the pale stripe down the back and the cranial crests; the absence of which would make it a Boreal Toad or the large symmetrical dark splotches that would make it a Great Plains Toad.

This is a cropped photo from the question showing the cranial crests circled.
Photo from OP with cranial crests circle (correctly this time, I hope)

One other note is that it is more likely to be found below 7,000 feet of elevation, unlike a Boreal Toad which is usually found above 8,000 feet.

You can see a picture of a Woodhouse's Toad here:

Photo of a Woodhouse's Toad

I originally came to the conclusion that it was a boreal toad based on the original photo using this site, but I wanted to use a more step-by-step method, so I followed the guide that I mentioned earlier. Given the update photo, the aforementioned guide would suggest that it is instead a Woodhouse's Toad. I am including the relevant page of the guide as an image (original is a pdf) to guard against link rot.

Your toad has warty skin, a light stripe, no large blotches, and large cranial crests, as best as I can tell, which implies that it is a Woodhouse's Toad.

Quick guide to frogs and toads of Colorado, pdf link here: https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Education/StudentActivities/COHerpQuickKey.pdf

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  • I added a much better picture, first one was on my phone and the upload limit was causing problems Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 0:35
  • @CharlieBrumbaugh I may actually reverse my guess based on that. I think I can see the cranial crests that would suggest a Woodhouse's Toad. Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 1:42
  • @CharlieBrumbaugh upon further thought, I am fairly sure that my revised answer is now correct. The updated photo did wonders in regards to identification. Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 1:57
  • I think your right, but that you have the cranial crest circled incorrectly and instead circled the parotoid glands google.com/…: Commented Jun 18, 2019 at 2:02
  • You've got me there, @CharlieBrumbaugh . I'll correct that. Thanks for pointing that out. Commented Jun 19, 2019 at 1:32

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