Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus)

Adult Size: 2" to 4½"

Description: Large with prominent cranial crests that converge to form a bony hump on the snout. Behind the eyes, the cranial crests meet elongated parotoid glands. Coloration is olive to gray to brown, with large, symmetrical, light bordered dark blotches. A sharp edged tubercles behind each hnind foot. A flap of skin conceals the deflated male vocal sac.

Voice: A high pitched almost metallic trill.

Habitat: Grasslands of the prairie and drier bushy areas.

Breeding: April to September, usually during or after heavy rainfall. The egg strings are attached to debris on the bottom of the pond.

Range: Found from southeastern Alberta to western Wisconsin in the north, south through the Great Plains to northwestern Texas and into Mexico, west to southern New Mexico, Arizona, and southeastern California, and north to parts of southeastern Nevada and central Utah.

Diet: It is a voracious predator of cutworms, which cause extensive crop damage.

Behavior: Primarily nocturnal, but sometimes is found foraging on cloudy, rainy days. This toad prefers loose soil where burrowing us easy. When in danger, it inflates, closes its eyes, and lowers its head to the ground.

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Conservation Status:

Additonal Notes:

Subspecies: None.