The Texas toad, Anaxyrus (Bufo) speciosus, was made the State Amphibian of Texas in 2009 and was noted for its “Buddha-like visage.”
The word “bufo” means toad in Latin. It was used as the genus name for toads all over the world by Linnaeus in the 1700s. More recently (particularly in 2006), scientists have realized that not all toads are closely related to each other. To recognize the differences among toads in the Americas, they have been placed into different genera, including Anaxyrus, Rhinella and Incilius. We included Bufo in parentheses because many biologists (including teachers) learned the name Bufo and may not recognize Anaxyrus.
In what habitats would you expect to find Texas toads?
It is not easy to get this information from collection records, but you can see the different types of habitats that occur in the Concho Valley. For more information, visit the ASNHC Reptiles and Amphibians Database on Arctos.
In what other states do Texas Toads live?
VertNet is an online database with information from many collections, such as the ASNHC. You can go to the website and search for Anaxyrus speciosus. Then select the map option.
How many Texas toads are stored in our collection?
