Fowler's Toad
Anaxyrus fowleri
Conservation Status:
State Status: Apparently Secure
Global Assessment: Least Concern
Photographed by Maxwell Julius in Windham
Listen to call:
Description
Fowler’s toads grow to about two to three inches long. They can range in color from gray, brown, red, olive, to yellow. Dark markings across the back generally contain three or more small warts. This species has a pure white or yellowish stomach, sometimes having a singular dark spot on the chest. Adults usually have a lighter stripe running down their back. Males sometimes have pigmented throats, and appear darker in color than females.
Habitat
These toads can be found in a variety of
habitats. They prefer sandy soil for burrowing, located in places such as beaches or sand prairies. Enjoying low lying areas, they are common in river valleys. Fowler’s toads can also be found near bodies of water, in open woodlands, meadows, and urban or suburban yards.
Behavior
This species is inactive during hot and dry periods, and stays within their burrows at this time. This is also where they hibernate over the winter. Fowler’s toads eat any small invertebrate, excluding earthworms, while their tadpoles eat algae.
Predators of these toads include snakes, birds, and small mammals. When threatened, these toads may stay still and rely on their camouflage, or even play dead. If able, they will attempt to flee. When handled or in distress, they may urinate or vocalize. If they are in the mouth of an attacker, they release a toxin from their parotid gland in hopes that they will be released. This species breeds in the months of May and June, in vernal pools, or other shallow, temporary waters. Males arrive first and call out, which is how females pick their mate. 7,000 to 10,000 eggs are laid in strings and attached to submerged vegetation.
Range
Present
Fowler's Toad
Photographed by Cody Limber
Often Confused with
Eastern American Toad
Photographed by Alyssa Jones
The eastern American toad looks similar to the fowler’s toad. The easiest way to tell these two species apart is by looking at the warts in the largest dark spots of the toad. American toads generally have one to two larger warts in the biggest dark spots, while fowler’s toads have three or more smaller warts. American toads also have dark spots on their chest, and fowler’s toads do not.