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Anaxyrus punctatus

(Baird and Girard, 1852)

Red-spotted Toad

G5Secure Found in 60 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103152
Element CodeAAABB01120
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderAnura
FamilyBufonidae
GenusAnaxyrus
Synonyms
Bufo punctatusBaird and Girard, 1852
Other Common Names
red-spotted toad (EN)
Concept Reference
Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
The genus Anaxyrus was split from Bufo by Frost et al. (2006). However, taxonomy within the genus Bufo remains controversial and many references still use the long-established Bufo.

Sometimes hybridizes with Buro boreas at Darwin Canyon, Inyo County, California, and with Bufo woodhousii near Grand Junction, Mesa County, Colorado (Hammerson 1999), and in the Grand Canyon region, Arizona (Malmos et al. 1995). Bryson et al. (2002) provided a molecular tree of population histories suggesting that the Baja California population is the sister taxon of the Sonora desert + Chihuahan Desert (+ Colorado Plateau) populations.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-06-23
Change Date2001-10-11
Edition Date2025-06-23
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
This species has a large range in the southwestern U.S. and northern México. The population appears to be stable. Drought induced by climate change is likely to have negative impacts on wetland breeding habitat.
Range Extent Comments
This species is known from California, Nevada, central Utah, Colorado, and southwestern Kansas in the United States, south to southern Baja California and to the state of Querétaro in central México (Dodd Jr. 2023). It occurs at elevations up to about 1980m asl (6500 ft). Range extent is estimated to be 2,859,337 km² (GBIF 2025, RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range.
Threat Impact Comments
Cattle tanks can provide habitat, but that habitat can be low quality and reduce reproductive success (Kiesow and Griffis-Kyle 2017). Droughts are projected to reduce the amount of available water in desert habitats which will likely cause declines in this species (Dodd Jr. 2023). Increasing temperatures can make this species more susceptible to disease (Bakewell et al. 2021).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This species inhabits rocky canyons and gullies in deserts, grasslands, and dry woodlands. It hides under rocks, in rock crevices, or underground when inactive. Eggs and larvae develop in shallow water in temporary rain pools, spring-fed pools, and pools along intermittent streams.

Reproduction

Sexually mature in the third year of life (Dodd Jr. 2023). Lays eggs during or after rains in spring or summer from mid-March to August. Breeding choruses may last a few weeks. Larvae metamorphose late spring to early fall, depending on when eggs were laid. From 30-5,000 eggs are laid in water 25-75 mm in depth, singly or in short strings (Dodd Jr. 2023).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesertBare rock/talus/scree
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
Navajo NationS4Yes
KansasS2Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
UtahS4Yes
New MexicoS5Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
TexasS5Yes
NevadaS5Yes
ArizonaS5Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentNegligible (<1%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasNegligible (<1%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areasNegligible (<1%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7 - Natural system modificationsRestricted (11-30%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useRestricted (11-30%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
11.2 - DroughtsPervasive (71-100%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (60)
Arizona (35)
AreaForestAcres
Arnold MesaPrescott National Forest12,286
Black CanyonPrescott National Forest10,683
Black CrossTonto National Forest5,966
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
Coconino RimKaibab National Forest7,213
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
Grief HillPrescott National Forest12,535
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Horse MesaTonto National Forest9,146
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Lower Romero WSRCoronado National Forest10
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
Mitchell PeakApache-Sitgreaves National Forests35,398
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
Painted BluffsApache-Sitgreaves National Forests43,118
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest6,518
PipestemApache-Sitgreaves National Forests34,598
Santa RitaCoronado National Forest6,078
Sheridan MountainPrescott National Forest37,600
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
SunsetApache-Sitgreaves National Forests28,948
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Upper Romero WsrCoronado National Forest150
Walker MountainCoconino National Forest6,382
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Charleston - CarpenterHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest17,828
Stirling - Clark BHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest741
New Mexico (15)
AreaForestAcres
Brushy MountainGila National Forest7,199
Bull CanyonCarson National Forest11,512
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Capitan MountainsLincoln National Forest14,069
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Last Chance CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
Little Dog And Pup CanyonsLincoln National Forest25,412
Lower San FranciscoGila National Forest26,460
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Sawyers PeakGila National Forest59,743
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
Virgin CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,068
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
Utah (7)
AreaForestAcres
Big Bear CreekManti-Lasal National Forest28,440
Box - Death HollowDixie National Forest3,175
Bull ValleyDixie National Forest10,911
Capital ReefDixie National Forest763
Cedar BenchDixie National Forest8,915
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
References (24)
  1. Bakewell, L., C. Kelehear, and S. P. Graham. 2021. Impacts of temperature on immune performance in a desert anuran (<i>Anaxyrus punctatus</i>). Journal of Zoology 315(1): 49-57.
  2. Blackburn, L., P. Nanjappa, and M. J. Lannoo. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Copyright, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
  3. Bryson, R. W., Jr., J. R. Jaeger, J. A. Lemos-Espinal, and D. Lazcano. 2012. A multilocus perspective on the speciation history of a North American aridland toad (<i>Anaxyrus punctatus</i>). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 64:393–400.
  4. Collins, J. T. 1982. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Second edition. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Ser. 8. xiii + 356 pp.
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  6. Dodd, C. K., Jr. 2023. Frogs of the United States and Canada, Second Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.
  7. Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
  8. Frost, D. R. 2010. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.4 (8 April 2010). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
  9. Frost, D. R. 2017. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
  10. Frost, D.R. 2020. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Online: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html
  11. Frost, D.R., T. Grant, J. Faivovich, R. Bain, A. Haas, C.F.B. Haddad, R.O. de Sa´, S.C. Donnellan, C.J. Raxworthy, M. Wilkinson, A. Channing, J.A. Campbell, B.L. Blotto, P. Moler, R.C. Drewes, R.A. Nussbaum, J.D. Lynch, D. Green, and W.C. Wheeler. 2006. The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 297: 1-370.
  12. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  13. Hammerson, G. A. 1982b. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver. vii + 131 pp.
  14. Hammerson, G. A. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Second edition. University Press of Colorado, Boulder. xxvi + 484 pp.
  15. Kiesow, A. B., and K. L. Griffis-Kyle. 2017. Desert amphibian selection of arid land breeding habitat undermines reproductive effort. Oecologia 185: 619–627. doi: 10.1007/s00442-017-3969-2
  16. Korky, J.K. 1999. Bufo punctatus. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 689:1-5.
  17. Malmos, K., R. Reed, and B. Starrett. 1995. Hybridization between <i>Bufo woodhousii</i> and <i>Bufo punctatus</i> from the Grand Canyon region of Arizona."The Great Basin Naturalist 55(4):368-371.
  18. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  19. Stebbins, R. C. 1951. Amphibians of western North America. University of California Press, Berkeley. 539 pp.
  20. Stebbins, R.C. 1959. Amphibians of Western North America. University of California Press. Berkeley, California.
  21. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  22. Tevis, L. 1966. Unsuccessful breeding by desert toads (Bufo punctatus) at the limit of their ecological tolerance. Ecology 47:766-775.
  23. Turner, F. B. 1959. Some features of the ecology of Bufo punctatus in Death Valley, California. Ecology 40:175-181.
  24. Weintraub, J. D. 1974. Movement patterns of the red-spotted toad, Bufo punctatus. Herpetologica 30:212-215.