The desert may seem like an unlikely place to find frogs and toads. After all, amphibians need moisture to survive – so how do they live in such a dry habitat? As it turns out, frogs and toads have adapted in amazing ways to make the desert their home.
In this article, we’ll explore the challenges frogs and toads face in arid environments, the special adaptations that help them overcome these hurdles and some of the most common desert-dwelling amphibian species. Read on to learn more about the incredible survival skills of frogs and toads in the desert!
The Challenges of Desert Life
To live in the desert, frogs and toads need to cope with some major environmental challenges
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Lack of standing water – Most amphibians rely on ponds, lakes, or other bodies of freshwater to breed and lay eggs. But these are scarce in deserts.
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Extreme heat – Daytime temperatures frequently soar well over 100°F in many deserts – far too hot for most amphibians to be active.
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Low rainfall – Deserts receive very little precipitation during the year. Frogs and toads depend on rainfall to cue their breeding cycles.
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Risk of desiccation – Amphibians have permeable skin that loses moisture rapidly in dry air. Without access to water, they can easily dry out and die.
Remarkable Adaptations
To overcome these hurdles, desert-dwelling frog and toad species have evolved some remarkable adaptations:
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Burrowing – To stay cool and moist underground, many desert amphibians spend much of their time in burrows or buried in loose soil. The spadefoot toad got its name from the spade-like projections on its hind feet used for digging.
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Nocturnal habits – Being active at night prevents water loss from daytime heat. Most desert frogs and toads only emerge from their burrows at night to hunt and mate.
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Aestivation – During hot, dry periods some frogs bury themselves and enter a dormant state similar to hibernation. Their metabolism slows dramatically so they lose less moisture.
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Breeding after rainfall – Desert amphibians explosively emerge and breed in any temporary pools left by rains. Their tadpoles can metamorphose within days or weeks compared to months for other frog species.
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Water absorption – Some frogs have a network of blood vessels in their pelvic region that enables them to reabsorb water from their bladder so they can conserve internal fluid stores.
Desert-dwelling Species
Many different frog and toad species have adapted to survive in North American deserts, including:
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Sonoran Desert Toad – One of the largest toads in North America, it grows up to 7.5 inches long. It lives in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, breeding in temporary pools near the Colorado River.
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Great Plains Toad – A small toad (2-3 inches long) found in the Sonoran Desert. It remains underground most of the year, emerging only after summer rains to breed in temporary pools and floodplains.
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Couch’s Spadefoot – This 2-3 inch toad lives in the California and Arizona deserts. It aestivates underground until spring rains trigger its explosive breeding cycle in temporary rain pools.
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Texas Toad – This desert-adapted 3 inch toad lives in arid parts of Texas. It spends dry periods dormant in rodent burrows or other underground retreats, becoming active above-ground after rainfall.
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Amargosa Toad – An endangered 2 inch toad restricted to a small section of Nevada’s Amargosa Desert along the Amargosa River. It faces threats from habitat destruction and predation by bullfrogs.
Around the world there are also unique desert-dwelling frogs and toads in Africa, Australia, and the Middle East with special adaptations to survive in arid environments. Their amazing resilience proves amphibians can thrive even in the world’s driest places given the opportunity. Protecting fragile desert ecosystems will be key to ensuring their continued survival.
Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius)
Order: Salientia Family: Bufonidae (true toads) Other common names: Colorado River toad Spanish name: sapo grande
At 7 inches (18 cm) or more this is one of the largest toads native to North America. Adults have a uniformly green to greenish-gray dorsum (topside of the body) and creamy white venter (underside). Large white turbercles, or “warts”, are found at the angle of the jaw, but aside from the large parotoid glands and a few large lumps on the hind legs, this species has relatively smooth skin. Recently metamorphosed toadlets will be tan to green with orange or red spots on the dorsum. Unlike other male toads in our region, male Sonoran Desert toads do not have dark throats; males develop darkened, thick callosities (calluses) on the inside of the thumbs of the forelimbs during the breeding season.
Found from Central Arizona to southwestern New Mexico and Sinaloa, Mexico; historically entered southeastern California, though it has not been seen there since the 1970s.
This toad is common in the Sonoran Desert. It occurs in a variety of habitats including creosote bush desertscrub, grasslands up into oak-pine woodlands, and thornscrub and tropical deciduous forest in Mexico.
Sonoran Desert toads feed upon a variety of insects throughout their lives. Adults eat primarily beetles, although large individuals will occasionally eat small vertebrates including other toads. Sonoran Desert toads are active from late May to September, though principally during the summer rainy season. They are nocturnal during the hot summer months. The male’s call is weak, sounding somewhat like a ferryboat whistle. Eggs are laid in temporary rainpools and permanent ponds. Larvae metamorphose after 6 to 10 weeks. This species lives at least 10 years, and perhaps as many as 20 years.
Sonoran Desert toads have extremely potent, defensive toxins that are released from several glands (primarily the paratoids) in the skin. Animals that harass this species generally are intoxicated through the mouth, nose, or eyes. Dog owners should be cautious: the toxins are strong enough to kill full grown dogs that pick up or mouth the toads. Symptoms of intoxication are excessive salivation, irregular heartbeat and gait, and pawing at the mouth. If a dog displays any of these symptoms, use a garden hose to rinse its mouth from back to front and consult a veterinarian.
Frogs…in the desert?
FAQ
What type of toads live in the desert?
Great Plains Toad (Anaxyrus cognatus) is found in grasslands, desert-scrub, and riparian areas throughout the Great Plains, and Western United States.
What drug is in the Sonoran Desert Toad?
The toad contains the psychoactive alkaloid 5-MeO-DMT and is regarded as the ‘God molecule’.
Are Sonoran desert toads poisonous?
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Toxic Secretions:Sonoran Desert toads have glands, primarily the parotoid glands behind their eyes, that produce a milky, white, liquid toxin.
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Danger to Dogs:The toxin is strong enough to kill dogs if they catch or mouth the toad.
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Symptoms of Poisoning:Symptoms of intoxication include excessive drooling, foaming at the mouth, head shaking, irritated gums, drunken gait, confusion, heart arrhythmia, vomiting, diarrhea, and weakness or collapse.
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Human Risk:While not as severe as for dogs, the toad’s secretions can also make humans sick if they handle or lick the toad, according to NPR.
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Psychedelic Properties:Some people have discovered that the toad’s secretions contain hallucinogenic substances, making it attractive for recreational purposes, according to the Oakland Zoo.
Can you pick up a Sonoran Desert Toad?
People can pick up the toad but always wash your hands after. The Sonoran Desert Toad secretes a toxin that can cause your pets to get sick or even pass away. If your dog does come in contact with this toad species you need to rinse the pet’s mouth out.
Do frogs & toads live in the desert?
Frogs and toads need to adapt to live in the desert. Only a few species can live here and they make the most of what they can find around them to survive. Temporary sources of water in the desert are the ideal breeding grounds for frogs and toads.
Do frogs breed in the desert?
Together with most species of the desert, frogs and toads here only breed after it rains as they need to lay eggs directly in water. A burrowing nature is prevalent in the species of the desert. Digging their way into the ground, frogs and toads find a cool place to live in.
What frogs mate in the desert?
When the rare rains come, the Black Toad emerges from its hiding spot to mate and lay its eggs in temporary pools. The Black Toad’s ability to thrive in such an inhospitable environment is truly remarkable and a testament to the incredible adaptability of desert frogs. 4. Great Plains Toad
What is a Texas toad frog?
The Texas Toad is a fascinating frog that has adapted to survive in the harsh conditions of the desert. This remarkable amphibian is found in the arid regions of Texas and parts of Mexico, where it has developed unique characteristics to thrive in the extreme heat and limited water resources.
Are there toads in the Sonoran Desert?
The Sonoran Desert is dry and very hot – not a place where one might expect wet-skinned amphibians! Torrents of summer monsoon rain summon toads from their underground burrows where they spend most of the year. On July nights, hundreds of toads can be found breeding in temporary pools.
What is a Sonoran Desert frog?
The Sonoran Desert Toad is a fascinating creature that has adapted to thrive in the desert’s scorching temperatures and arid conditions. These desert frogs are known for their unique defense mechanism—when threatened, they secrete a venomous toxin from glands on their back that can be deadly to predators.