California toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California toad |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Bufonidae |
| Genus: | Anaxyrus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
A. b. halophilus
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| Trinomial name | |
| Anaxyrus boreas halophilus (Baird and Girard, 1853)
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The California toad (Anaxyrus boreas halophilus) is a type of western toad. It is a close relative of the boreal toad. You can find California toads all over California. However, they do not live in the dry desert areas in the southeast part of the state. These toads eat many different kinds of insects and small creatures. Their favorite foods include grasshoppers, beetles, flies, and mosquitoes.
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What's in a Name?
The scientific name for the California toad is Anaxyrus boreas halophilus. Let's break down what these words mean!
Meaning of Boreas
The word boreas comes from ancient Greek. It means "north wind" or "northern." This part of the name helps us know where these toads generally live.
Meaning of Halophilus
The word halophilus also comes from Greek. Halos means "sea" or "salt." Philos means "having a liking for." So, halophilus means "liking salt" or "liking the sea." This might refer to some of their habitats.
How to Spot a California Toad
California toads have some special features that help you tell them apart. They are less blotchy than their relatives, the boreal toad. This means they have fewer dark spots on their backs.
Key Features
- Head and Eyes: They have a wider head and bigger eyes.
- Feet: Their feet are smaller compared to other toads.
- Dorsal Stripe: They have a stripe down their back. This stripe is not as strongly marked as in some other toads.
- Size: Adult California toads are usually two to five inches long.
- Color: Their skin color can be light gray, green, or even dull black. Most of them are brownish-gray.
- Movement: Unlike many frogs that hop, the California toad usually walks.
Tadpole Size
The largest tadpoles (baby toads) of all western toads belong to the California toad. They can grow up to 56 millimeters long!
Where California Toads Live
California toads live in many different places. You can find them from Northern California all the way south into Baja California.
Toad Habitats
- Forest Areas: They live in woodlands, grasslands, and meadows within forests.
- Suburban Areas: You might even find them in backyards and parks in towns.
- Desert Areas: While they generally avoid deserts, some small groups live in isolated spots. For example, you might find them in parts of the Mojave Desert. However, they usually do not live in the desert areas south of Death Valley.
Breeding Spots
California toads need water to lay their eggs. They breed in places like:
- Lakes
- Creeks
- Ponds
- Reservoirs
- Slow-moving streams
- Canals
How California Toads Reproduce
California toads breed from January to July. If they live in higher, colder places, they might breed later in the year.
Breeding Habits
Many groups of California toads gather together to breed. They come to special marshy areas or ponds in large numbers. Here, male toads find females by trying to hug them. This hug is called amplexus.
Eggs and Young
A female toad can lay more than 16,000 eggs! These eggs are laid in long strings in shallow water. The eggs will then hatch into tadpoles, which will grow into young toads.
