Houston toad
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| Bufo houstonensis |
The Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) is an endangered species of amphibian. The toad was discovered in the late 1940s and named in 1953.
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[edit] Characteristics
The male Houston toad grows to 2-3.5 inches when mature with the female being larger and bulkier. Although generally brown and speckled, their color can range from black to purplish gray, sometimes with green patches. The toads typically live 2-3 years, and need sandy, loose soil to burrow in for protection from the elements. The toads are nocturnal and feed on insects and small invertebrates.
During February and March, the male emits a high clear trill by distending a vocal sac on its throat, in hopes of attracting a mate. A female will choose a male based on certain characteristics of his call. A female toad will lay several thousand eggs in long single-egg strands that are fertilized externally by the male as they are laid. The eggs hatch within seven days and tadpoles take between 15-100 days to turn into little toads, which leave the breeding pond and begin to forage on land.
They move by making short hops. Since they cannot usually out run their predators such as spiders, snakes, turtles, owls, raccoons, and other frogs, the toads have developed coloration and rough skin to camouflage themselves. Also, their skin secretes chemicals that are distasteful, and sometimes poisonous, to predators. In addition to protecting the Houston toad from being eaten, some of these chemicals have proven useful medicines to treat heart and nervous disorders in humans.
[edit] Habitat and range
The toad lives in pine and oak woodlands or savanna among native bunchgrasses and flowering plants. The toads breed in shallow, still or slow moving water. The toad's original range covered 12 counties in Texas; currently, it is known to occur in only nine.
[edit] Preservation
In 1970, the Houston toad was federally listed as an endangered species. It was eradicated from the Houston, Texas area during the 1960s when development destroyed its habitat of forests and ponds. Though the largest and most immediate threat is habitat loss, the reduced toad populations are also vulnerable to automobiles, predators, pesticides and drought.
The largest known population persists in Bastrop County, but the population is declining in Bastrop State Park, the only public land that supports large numbers of the toad. Conservation groups are working with private landowners in Bastrop County to protect and restore Houston toad habitat.
[edit] References
- Hammerson & Shepard (2004). Bufo houstonensis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map, a brief justification of why this species is endangered, and the criteria used
- "Houston Toad". Environmental Defense. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2005.
- "The Endangered Houston Toad". U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved Nov. 17, 2005.
