A small toad endemic to a tiny region of central Texas — now teetering on extinction after the 2011 Bastrop fires devastated remaining habitat. Captive breeding programs have prevented loss.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The Houston toad, formerly Bufo houstonensis, is an endangered species of amphibian that is endemic to Texas in the United States. This toad was discovered in the late 1940s and named in 1953. It was among the first amphibians added to the United States List of Endangered Native Fish and Wildlife and is currently protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as an endangered species. The Houston toad was placed as "endangered" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species from 1986 to 2022, and has worsened to "critically endangered" since then, with fewer than 250 mature individuals believed to remain in the wild as of 2021. Their kind is threatened every day as they continue to suffer from a loss of habitat and extreme drought. Their typical life expectancy is at least 3 years but it may exceed this number.
Source: Wikipedia — Houston toad Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Medium toad with warty olive-brown, gray, or reddish skin; dark spots; pale dorsal stripe in some individuals. Two prominent parotoid glands.
Similar species. Coastal Plains Toad (similar; different range). American Toad (more northern). Gulf Coast Toad (range overlaps; different pattern).
Voice. High clear musical trill, 5–15 seconds; distinct from related toads.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Insects (ants, beetles, small caterpillars) caught with sticky tongue.
Behavior. Endemic to pine-oak forests on deep sandy soils in Bastrop, Robertson, and Leon counties, Texas. Federal endangered. The Bastrop County Complex Fire of 2011 burned 95% of remaining habitat; captive breeding at the Houston Zoo (since 1978) has prevented extinction.
§ Range
Central Texas (Bastrop, Robertson, Leon counties)
§ Habitat
Loblolly pine forests with sandy soils and ephemeral breeding ponds
§ Threats
Habitat loss, drought, wildfire, chytrid fungus, pesticide drift.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the houston toad is currently classified as Endangered.
§ What helps
Donate to Houston Zoo's captive breeding. Support Texas land conservation. Maintain ephemeral pond habitat.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Houston toad
- www.fws.gov — authoritative profile of Anaxyrus houstonensis
- IUCN Red List · taxon 54683
- iNaturalist · taxon 25520
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Anaxyrus houstonensis
§ Sources cited
- Houston Zoo Houston Toad Recovery
- USFWS Texas Field Office
- Texas Parks and Wildlife
- IUCN Red List 2014
