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Anaxyrus hemiophrys

(Cope, 1886)

Canadian Toad

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104328
Element CodeAAABB01080
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 hemiophrysCope, 1886
Other Common Names
Crapaud du Canada (FR)
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.

Regarded as subspecies of B. americanus in some older literature. Hybridizes with B. americanus in southeastern Manitoba and north-central U.S. (Green 1983, Green and Pustowka 1997). See also Fontenot et al. (2011) for a discussion on the hybridization with eastern members of the Anaxyrus americanus group. Anaxyrus baxteri of Wyoming formerly was included in this species (see Smith et al. 1998).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-09-22
Change Date2015-09-22
Edition Date2002-03-29
Edition AuthorsReichel, J. D., and G. Hammerson
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Fairly large range in south-central Canada and adjacent north-central U.S.; current distribution, abundance, and population trend are not well documented--hence not demonstrably secure.
Range Extent Comments
South-central Canada and north-central United States, from southern Northwest Territories through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to northern Montana, North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and west-central Minnesota (Conant and Collins 1991).
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range.
Threat Impact Comments
Local declines and low abundance have been attributed to loss of wetlands and possibly drought (Green 1997).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Prairies, plains, aspen parklands; areas with relatively soft soil. Usually found in or near water. Burrows into soil when inactive. Eggs are laid and larvae develop in shallow water of lakes, ponds, quiet streams, marshes, potholes, and roadside ditches.

Reproduction

Lays eggs May-July, depending on locality. Breeding aggregations generally are small.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
MinnesotaS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
South DakotaSUYes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS3Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
OntarioSUYes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops——High (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weather——High (continuing)
11.2 - Droughts——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (4)
North Dakota (4)
AreaForestAcres
DelamereDakota Prairie Grasslands5,087
DurlerDakota Prairie Grasslands12,464
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
VenloDakota Prairie Grasslands5,317
References (14)
  1. 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.
  2. Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
  3. 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]
  4. Fontenot, B. E., R. Makowsky, and P. T. Chippindale. 2011. Nuclear–mitochondrial discordance and gene flow in a recent radiation of toads. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 59: 66–80.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. Green, D. M. 1983. Allozyme variation through a clinal hybrid zone between the toads BUFO AMERICANUS and B. HEMIOPHRYS in southeastern Manitoba. Herpetologica 39: 28-40.
  11. Green, D. M., and C. Pustowka. 1997. Correlated morphological and allozyme variation in the hybridizing toads BUFO AMERICANUS and BUFO HEMIOPHRYS. Herpetologica 53:218-228.
  12. Green, D. M., editor. 1997. Amphibians in decline: Canadian studies of a global problem. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Conservation No. 1.
  13. Smith, H. M., D. Chiszar, J. T. Collins, and F. van Breukelen. 1998. The taxonomic status of the Wyoming toad, <i>Bufo baxteri</i> Porter. Contemporary Herpetology 1998(1):http//alpha.selv.edu/ch/1998/1
  14. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.