Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Orthokaryota
Cladus: Neokaryota
Cladus: Scotokaryota
Cladus: Podiata
Cladus: Amorphea
Cladus: Obazoa
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Cladus: Filozoa
Cladus: Choanozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: ParaHoxozoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Olfactores
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Cladus: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Batrachomorpha
Classis: Amphibia
Subclassis: Lissamphibia
Superordo: Batrachia
Cladus: Salientia
Ordo: Anura
Familia: Bufonidae
Genus: Anaxyrus
Species: Anaxyrus punctatus
Name
Anaxyrus punctatus (Baird & Girard, 1852)
Type locality: "Rio San Pedro [Devil's River] of the Rio Grande Del Norte", Val Verde County, Texas, USA.
Syntypes: USNM 2618 (3 specimens).
Note:
The recognition of Anaxyrus as a genus distinct from Bufo is highly controversial, and has not been accepted by many herpetologists working with this group. For a complete phylogeny of the species in this group and their relationships as a subgroup within Bufo, see Pauly et al. (2004).
Synonyms
Bufo punctatus Baird & Girard, 1852
Bufo beldingi Yarrow, 1882
References
Primary references
Baird, S.F. & Girard, C. 1852. Characteristics of some new reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Third Part. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 6: 173. BHL Reference page.
Pauly, G.B., Hillis, D.M. & Cannatella, D.C. 2004. The history of a Nearctic colonization: Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of the Nearctic toads (Bufo). Evolution 58(11): 2517–2535. DOI: 10.1111/j.0014-3820.2004.tb00881.x Open access Reference page.
Links
Frost, D.R. 2021. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.1. Electronic Database accessible at https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. DOI: 10.5531/db.vz.0001 Anaxyrus punctatus . Accessed on 26 Mar 2008.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre IUCN: Anaxyrus punctatus (Least Concern)
Vernacular names
English: Baird's Spotted Toad
The red-spotted toad (Anaxyrus punctatus), formerly Bufo punctatus, is a toad in the family Bufonidae found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.[1][2][3]
Description
It is a small toad species growing to 3.7 to 7.5 cm (1.5 to 3.0 in) in length. It has a flattened head and body, and a light grey, olive or reddish brown dorsum with reddish or orange skin glands. It has a whitish or buff venter with or without faint dark spotting, and round parotoid glands. The snout is pointed. The juvenile toad looks similar to the adult, but has more prominent ventral spotting and the undersides of its feet are yellow. The male red-spotted toad has a dusky throat and develops nuptial pads during the breeding season.[4]
It may hybridize with the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) in some locations, possibly with other toad species too.[3] It is docile and easily handled with little or no skin gland secretions.[4]
A red-spotted toad in the Patagonia Mountains of southeastern Arizona.
Distribution and habitat
This toad is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, especially Baja California. It occurs primarily along rocky streams and riverbeds, often in arid or semi-arid regions. It is very localized on the coastal slope, but widespread in the deserts. In dry areas it needs seasonal pools or even temporary rain puddles to use for breeding. Eggs hatch in three days and the tadpole can transform in 6–8 weeks, taking advantage of the ephemeral water bodies. It spends dry periods in burrows or beneath rocks or moist plant matter, and becomes suddenly active during rainfall when multitudes of individuals emerge.[5]
References
IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2021). "Anaxyrus punctatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T54739A53950671. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T54739A53950671.en. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
Frost, Darrel R. (2016). "Anaxyrus punctatus (Baird and Girard, 1852)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
"Anaxyrus punctatus". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
Robert Fisher & Ted J. Case. "Anaxyrus punctatus Red-Spotted Toad". A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
Grismer, L. L. (2002). Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 71.
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