Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAmphibia (Amphibians)
- OrderAnura (Frogs and Toads)
- FamilyBufonidae (True Toads)
- GenusAnaxyrus (North American Toads)
- SpeciesAnaxyrus punctatus (Red-spotted Toad)
About the Red-spotted Toad
The red-spotted toad (Anaxyrus punctatus), formerly Bufo punctatus, is a toad in the family Bufonidae found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a small toad species growing to 3.7 to 7.5 cm (1.5 to 3.0 in) in length. It has a flattened head and body, and a light grey, olive or reddish brown dorsum with reddish or orange skin glands. It has a whitish or buff venter with or without faint dark spotting, and round parotoid glands. The snout is pointed. The juvenile toad looks similar to the adult, but has more prominent ventral spotting and the undersides of its feet are yellow. The male red-spotted toad has a dusky throat and develops nuptial pads during the breeding season.
It may hybridize with the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) in some locations, possibly with other toad species too. It is docile and easily handled with little or no skin gland secretions. This toad is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, especially Baja California. It occurs primarily along rocky streams and riverbeds, often in arid or semi-arid regions. It is very localized on the coastal slope, but widespread... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Great Plains Toad
Anaxyrus cognatus
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
Colorado River Toad
Incilius alvarius
Canyon Tree Frog
Dryophytes arenicolor
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Couch's Spadefoot
Scaphiopus couchii
Lowland Leopard Frog
Lithobates yavapaiensis
Mexican Spadefoot
Spea multiplicata
African Clawed Frog
Xenopus laevis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Red-spotted Toad in Saguaro National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-spotted Toad sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 862 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Red-spotted Toad in Saguaro National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Red-spotted Toad in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.