Compare two species

Southern Toad vs. Fowler's Toad

Fowler's Toads share the Florida Parishes flatwoods and yards (a record within 10 km of 10 of 19 Louisiana Southern Toad records). A: The ridge behind the eye is separated from the parotoid, usually joined by a short spur in the Southern Toad; the faint ridge runs right onto the top of the parotoid: no gap, no spur in the Fowler's Toad. B: Tall crests with large, horn-like knobs behind the eyes in the Southern Toad; low, faint crests with no knobs in the Fowler's Toad. C: Moderately large calf warts compared with the thigh warts in the Southern Toad; calf warts about the same size as the thigh warts in the Fowler's Toad. D: Many enlarged warts in the largest spots in the Southern Toad; many small warts that are NOT enlarged, in larger, irregular camouflage blotches in the Fowler's Toad. E: Few to no spots; usually plain and paler in the Southern Toad; few to no spots; often one dark "pushpin" spot in the middle of the chest in the Fowler's Toad. F: A broad head; adults often over 2.5 in from snout to vent in the Southern Toad; a small, short, petite head; a toad over 2.5 in snout to vent is rarely a Fowler's in the Fowler's Toad. G: Ridges tall and fluted, the parotoid set back from the eye in the Southern Toad; the parotoid very close to the eye; many small spots and no enlarged warts in the Fowler's Toad. These toads hybridize where they meet: judge by the sum of the checks, not one feature, and use place and call. Calls: a musical trill about 8 seconds long (Southern) against a short nasal groan, "waaah" (Fowler's).

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Southern Toad

Anaxyrus terrestris

Fowler's Toad

Anaxyrus fowleri

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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