3 Types of Toads Found in Washington! (ID Guide)

“Don’t pick that up, you’ll get warts!”

common toads in Washington

If you’re anything like me, you heard this quite a few times growing up from a parent telling you to leave a toad alone. With their bumpy skin, staring eyes, and loud, insect-like calls, it’s understandable to be cautious around toads. But luckily, it’s a myth that toads give people warts!

Today, you will learn about the different kinds of toads in Washington.

A note on this list: Some of the species below are considered spadefoots, which are not technically toads. Spadefoots are a separate group of frogs that are closely related to toads. Because they are similar in so many ways, I am including them here. If you see a spadefoot, you may not even realize it’s not a true toad! I will outline the differences between toads and spadefoots later in the article.

#1. Western Toad

  • Anaxyrus boreas

types of toads in Washington

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Adult length is 2-5 inches.
  • Coloring can range from yellowish, tan, gray, or green with a pale stripe along the back. The Western Toad also has dark blotches with rust-colored edges and warts.
  • Males have smoother, less blotchy skin than females.

As its name suggests, the Western Toad lives in the western part of the continent. It has a wide range of habitats, including desert streams and springs, forests, lakes and rivers, and backyard gardens with pools nearby.

Western Toad Rangemap:

Female Western Toads can lay up to 16,000 eggs at a time! They lay their eggs in long strings in shallow water.

Unlike many other toads in Washington, Western Toads don’t often hop!

Instead, they walk, picking up 1 or 2 legs at a time. You can see this unique movement below!

The Western Toad has a distinctive call that can be described as a high-pitched chirrup or chattering. Choruses of Western Toads tend to sound like flocks of geese in the distance. Click here for an example!

#2. Woodhouse’s Toad

  • Anaxyrus woodhousii

species of toads in Washington

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Adult length is 2 ½-4 inches.
  • Coloring ranges from gray to yellowish or olive green.
  • The belly is light tan or buff with very few dark spots located on the chest.

Woodhouse’s Toads are adaptable to many environments in the small southeastern portion of Washington where they live, including grasslands, deserts, floodplains, and developed areas. Interestingly, individuals that live in suburban areas will wait under street lamps to catch and eat insects attracted to the light.

Woodhouse’s Toad Rangemap:

The most striking feature of Woodhouse’s toads is their shape – they are very round and stout, with short legs that look too small to support their bodies!

Woodhouse’s Toads have a very short call that resembles a distressed sheep’s bleat.

SPADEFOOTS:

There are a few main differences between toads in Washington, listed above, and Spadefoots, listed below.

  • Spadefoots have vertical pupils like a snake, while toads have horizontal pupils.

  • Their skin is much smoother and has very few or no warts.

  • Their back feet have bony, sharp spades that are used for burrowing into soil, sand, or loose gravel.

#3. Great Basin Spadefoot

  • Spea intermontana

common toads in Washington

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Adult length is 1 ½-2 ½ inches.
  • Coloring is gray, olive, or brown with an hourglass-shaped marking on the back.
  • The spade on the hindfoot is wedge-shaped.

In the middle section of Washington, it is common to find Great Basin Spadefoots in sagebrush flats or woodland areas. They can also be found in spruce and fir forests at higher elevations.

Great Basin Spadefoot Rangemap:

Great Basin Spadefoots breed after spring and summer rains, in temporary and permanent water including lakes, streams, and drainage ditches.

Interestingly, the Great Basin Spadefoot emits a peanut-smelling odor when handled!

The call of the Great Basin Spadefoot is a low-pitched and hoarse sound, similar to the quacking of a duck. It lasts about a second and is repeated over and over as the male calls to attract females during mating.

Do you need additional help identifying toads?

Try this field guide!

Which of these toads have you seen in Washington?

Leave a comment below!

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