Sonoran Desert toad (Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail)

Sonoran Desert toad

Incilius alvarius

Summary ⁶

The Colorado River toad, Bufo alvarius, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is a psychoactive toad found in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Its skin and venom contain 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin.

Description ⁷

Adults are usually 110-187mm long from snout to vent. Their olive skin is smooth, leathery, and scattered with small rounded tubercles. Behind the angle of the jaws there is at least one conspicuous white tubercle. The length of each paratoid gland is twice the paratoid width, and equal to the distance from the nostril to the tympanum. On the dorsal surfaces of the limbs there are several enlarged glands that resemble the paratoids. Above each eye curves a distinct cranial crest.

The glands of the toads produce a toxin that can cause intoxication in humans, and therefore is a controlled substance.

See another account at californiaherps.com.

Range description ⁸

This species occurs from extreme southeastern California, southern Arizona and extreme southern New Mexico in the USA, south into Mexico. It has nearly been extirpated in California. It occurs from sea level to 1,610m asl (Stebbins 1985).

Iucn red list assessment ⁹

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2004

Assessor/s

Geoffrey Hammerson, Georgina Santos-Barrera

Reviewer/s

Global Amphibian Assessment Coordinating Team (Simon Stuart, Janice Chanson, Neil Cox and Bruce Young)

Contributor/s

Justification

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Fuentes y créditos

(c) David Bygott, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/86666094@N00/4377341351
(c) 2011 Todd Pierson, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=385003&one=T
(c) 2002 California Academy of Sciences, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=109760&one=T
(c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=839&one=T
(c) 2002 California Academy of Sciences, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=110518&one=T
(c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bufo%20alvarius
(c) AmphibiaWeb © 2000-2011 The Regents of the University of California, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/23852772
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28163093
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/28163092