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American Toad, Anaxyrus mericanus

Bryan — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:47:48 +0000

The first of these I’ve seen, on a 2011 trip to Pennsylvania. It was cold enough outside to see my breath that night, which isn’t something I’m used to looking for herps in back in Arizona.

Tale of Two Toads

Bryan — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:05:07 +0000

This are a pair of the Woodhouse toads that live in a pond right off the main street through Sedona, Arizona.

woodhouse toads

Great Plains Toad, Bufo cognatus

Bryan — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:19:31 +0000

This is a little tiny toad, new to the world of legs.

Bufo cognatus

A Night in the Superstition Mountains. Diamondback, Blacktails, and a Lyresnake

Bryan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:00:47 +0000

My wife and I went on a quick trip to the Superstition Mountains and had a little success. We spent maybe the most productive hiking hour at Tortilla Flats eating hamburgers, which had to be done eventually. I’ve driven past the place more times than I can count, but I’ve always been on my way somewhere … so we stopped and it was well worth it. We got out in time to get to our location for a quick 30 minute hike before it was time to cruise, and it paid off immediately. Only a hundred yards into our hike we found a large Blacktail Rattlesnake, Crotalus molossus, cruising through a dry wash. It was my wife’s first blacktail, so we spent a lot of time with it and took a lot of pictures.

Crotalus molossus

blacktail rattlesnake

rattlesnake in the superstition moutains

black tail rattlesnake

molossus

We got back to our car just before dark and found this baby Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox, right away. We didn’t take too much care with the pics on this one. Photographed and moved off the road.

Crotalus atrox

Then we found one of my favorite Colubrids, the Sonoran Lyresnake, Trimorphodon lambda. He had kind of a jacked up lower jaw as if he had swallowed part of it, but it looked to be healing, and it had some food in the belly, so it looks like he’ll be fine.

lyresnake

Trimorphodon lambda

popeye face

Sonoran Lyresnake in Arizona

On the way out, we found the last thing I expected, a Couch’s Spadefoot Toad. These are pretty common during the monsoons in the flats, but we were still well within the foothills when we found him. Weird.

Couch's Toad

Two Toads

Bryan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:34:46 +0000

Here are a couple of common toads found in abundance when the rain finally comes to the Arizona summer.

This first is a large Red-Spotted Toad, Bufo punctatus, found while looking for hopi rattlesnakes in Central Arizona.

The latter is a young Sonoran Desert Toad, Bufo alvarius, found with a 97 F air temperature and near zero humidity.

Bufo punctatus

Sonoran Desert Toad

Arizona Toad

Bryan — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:28:45 +0000

I’ve seen a ton of toads, but this is my first Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus). I wish I would have realized it then … I would have taken a few more pics!

Arizona Toad, Anaxyrus microscaphus

New Mexico Trip, July 2008, Part 3

Bryan — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:57:07 +0000

… continued from part 1 and part 2.

We eventually arrived at my parent’s house in Carlsbad mid-morning. After relaxing a bit, we went out to an area near town to see what there is to see. I brought my parents with me as well.

Here’s my mom holding a Red-Spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus formerly Bufu punctatus), followed by another picture of him.

Mom and Red-Spotted Toad

Anaxyrus punctatus

Then we found my favorite of the desert toads, a female Couch’s Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus couchii) out and about. They look so weird, with the huge eyes and bony spurs of a true desert specialist. I was glad to find one and show my parents some of the cooler stuff that lives out here.

Scaphiopus couchii

Then we found the first vinegaroon I’ve ever seen in the wild. We ended up seeing a few others, but didn’t stop. The body was a few inches long … bigger than I thought they’d be. Completely harmless, other than his looks and smells.

vinegaroon

If you try and touch them, they get pissed quickly.

vinegaroon

Red-Spotted Toad

Bryan — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:42:11 +0000

Here’s a picture of a Red-Spotted toad (Bufo punctatus) I took a few years ago. Just cleaning out some old stuff in the sort folder. In October, these guys can be found in great masses in the hills and mountains surrounding Phoenix, Arizona. This one is from the Superstition Mountains, where every overturned rock will produce 4-5 young toads when the time is right.

Red-Spotted Toad