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Wyoming toad Facts

Wyoming toad Facts
Wyoming toad, also known as Baxter's toad is a species of amphibian that belongs to the family of true toads. It can be found only in the floodplains of the Laramie Basin in Wyoming (USA). Wyoming toad was classified as extinct in the wild at the beginning of the 1990s as a result of increased pollution of the ground with pesticides, fungal diseases and sudden climate changes. Before it became extinct, several live animals were collected from the wild and incorporated into the program of captive breeding in several facilities. New generations of Wyoming toads are returned to the wild, but they are still not numerous and strong enough to survive without continuous "supply" of new generations of toads from the captivity. Until Wyoming toads become capable to reproduce on their own (without external support) they will be listed as extinct in the wild.
Interesting Wyoming toad Facts:
Wyoming toad can reach 3.5 inches in length and 2 to 3 ounces of weight. Females are slightly larger than males.
Wyoming toad has dark brown, grey or greenish body covered with small dark markings on the belly. Males have dark-colored throats. Colors of the body match with the colors of the environment and provide perfect camouflage.
Wyoming toad has warty skin and humped ridge on the head.
Wyoming toad is nocturnal creature (active during the night).
Wyoming toad is a carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet is based on insects (especially ants and beetles) and small invertebrates. Tadpoles are vegetarians. Their diet is based mostly on algae.
Wyoming toad has poor eyesight. It cannot detect motionless insects (it is able to identify only insects that fly or walk on the ground).
Wyoming toad is active from May to September. It hibernates in the underground burrow (called hibernacula) during the rest of the year.
Wyoming toad uses special knobs on the feet to dig burrows in the ground (where it hides during the day).
Wyoming toad produces toxic substance in the glands on the neck to protect itself from the predators.
Natural enemies of Wyoming toads are birds and mammals.
Mating season of Wyoming toads takes place during the June.
Males gather near the shallow pools of water and produce loud calls which attract females.
Male grasps female from behind during the copulation and releases sperm cell on the hundreds of eggs that female expels from the body. Fertilized eggs are arranged in the form of gelatinous strings.
Eggs develop in the water. Tadpoles hatch from the eggs 3 to 20 days later, depending on the temperature (higher temperature accelerates development). They transform into young toads after 30 days. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years, females at the age of 3 years.
Wyoming toad can survive 8 to 10 years in the wild.


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