Bufo woodhousii

Order: Anura

Husbandry Information

Housing Requirements

Diet Requirements

Veterinary Concerns

Notes on Enrichment & Training

Other

Colony or Breeding Management

Notes species is housed or managed socially or for breeding purposes.

Individual Identification

Dimorphism or practiced ways to individually mark species (such as those in colonies, like giant millipedes).

Programmatic Information

Transportation

Temperature Guidelines

 

Crating:

Tips on Presentation

Touching Techniques

Tips on Handling

• Handle with wet hands.
• Grasp firmly with shoulders encircled with thumb and index finger, belly flat on your palm.
• Woodhouse’s toads are powerful jumpers so care needs to be taken to ensure the toad does not have enough purchase with its back feet to escape.

 

Potential Messaging

• These toads can consume up to 2/3 of their body weight in insects daily. This makes them a useful predator for farmers who can support toad habitat by maintaining playas on their land throughout the Great Plains.
• General amphibian messaging.

Acquisition Information

Generally only available as wild caught specimens.

Comments from the Rating System

• Lee Richardson Zoo: We allow small audiences to touch this animal with wet fingers, and have never seen any negative effects.

Natural History Information

Range and Habitat

Isolated colonies can be found throughout the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of North America. Prefers lowland sandy areas but will inhabit a variety of areas including marshes, river bottoms, mountain canyons, desert streams, irrigated areas and urban and suburban yards.

Physical Description

Vary from gray or greenish-gray to brown with irregular and elongated brown or dark gray-green spots. Woodhouse’s Toads have a light colored mid-dorsal stripe and a light colored belly with no spots. Range in length from 2 1/2″ to 4″, females are generally larger than breeding males. Fingers and toes are moderately webbed. Rounded snout, enlarged kidney-shaped glands on back behind each eye and easily visible tympanum. The skin is fairly dry with a warty appearance.

Life Cycle

Captive individuals have lived more than 13 years.

Behavior

Primarily nocturnal though young adults are more likely to be active during the day. Dew and condensation provide enough moisture, allowing these toads to live a largely terrestrial life, only returning to water to breed.

Threats and Conservation Status

 

Did you know…

Photographs

Documents

Any Documents to attach, species spotlights, etc.

• Check out sample animal policies, handling sheets, and fact sheets on our Example Policies & Guidelines page
• View past issues of Program Animal SAG Newsletters

Contributors and Citations

• Lee Richardson Zoo