Alberta Herps
Western Toad (Bufo boreas boreas)

• foothills and mountains and adjacent forested areas; commonest amphibian in the Rocky Mountains.

Brief Description

• a relatively large Bufo species; small round or oval worts on dorsal and lateral sides and on upper portions of limbs; weakly developed cranial crests.

Habitat

• often near water and in damp forested areas; overwintering under moss or underground.

Feeding

• tadpoles algae-eater or scavenger; adults largely insectivorous.

Reproduction

• breeding from late April to late June; spawning in pond or lake margin; up to about 16,500 eggs in two strings shed over vegetation or other substrate; pectoral amplexus.

Status in Alberta

• GREEN LIST

Other Internet Resources

• western toad: Amphibians of Alberta Page, Alberta Environmental Protection

• Bufo boreas : Department of Biology, California State University, Bakersfield, CA, USA

• Bufo boreas : Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, USA

References

• Anonymous. 1996. The status of Alberta wildlife. Wildlife Management Division Report. Alberta Environmental Protection, Govertment of Alberta.

• Russell, A. P., and A. M. Bauer. in press. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Alberta: A Field Guide and Primer of Boreal Herpetology. University of Calgary Press. 2nd Edition.