Fowler's toad
Bufo woodhousei fowleri
 |
|
| Fig. 6. Fowler's toad |
|
In contrast to the American toad with only one or two warts per blotch, Fowler's toad usually has four to six (Fig. 6). The cranial crests are positioned in direct contact with the parotid glands, unlike the separated crests found on the American toad. An easy analogy to remember is that America is the land of the free, and the parotid glands and cranial crests are "free" from each other in the American toad. The breast is white or creamy with one to few spots, not usually mottled as in the American toad. Warts on the tibiae are not noticeably enlarged with respect to those on the femur or tarsus.
Ground color varies from yellowish through brown and gray. In general, Fowler's toads tend to be lighter in color than American toads and frequently have a yellowish cast.
• Dark blotches on the back of Fowler's toad usually enclose four to six warts.
• Cranial crests are in direct contact with the parotid glands.
• Warts on the tibiae are not noticeably enlarged in comparison with those of the femoral area or tarsus.
Fowler's toads emerge from hibernation in April; their calls can be hear•d from late April into July. The short call of 1-4 seconds duration is harsh and unmusical, and sounds similar to a sheep bleating in the distance (Fig. 7).
|
 |
|
Fig. 7. Call of the Fowler's toad |
Call of the Fowler's toad (56 seconds, 442 KB)
Excerpt (11 seconds, 91 KB)
• The short call of the Fowler's toad with a duration of 1-4 seconds is harsh and unmusical. The sound is similar to that of a sheep bleating in the distance or a baby screaming for its mother ("ma-a-a-a").
• The call in the spectrogram has a dominant frequency of 2160 Hz and a duration of 1.3 seconds.
Fowler's toad and the American toad do hybridize occasionally. The offspring resulting from these cross-breedings are often intermediate between the parental types and express characteristics associated with both species.
When handled roughly Fowler's toad feigns death and plays "possum." It may lay on its back with legs curved upward and may remain motionless for several seconds until the threat has passed.