Southern Rocky Mountain Boreal Toad
Look first for warty toad with a pale stripe down the back and no cranial crests, then confirm it in high-elevation wetlands, ponds, and willow edges in the southern rockies. Those two clues make Southern Rocky Mountain Boreal Toad much easier to identify responsibly in Colorado.
Artwork inspired by Joellyn Duesberry
The Southern Rocky Mountain population of boreal toad occupies high-elevation wetlands in Colorado, northern New Mexico, and southern Wyoming. Adults have dry warty skin and a pale dorsal stripe, returning to shallow breeding water after long winters.
Chytrid fungus caused severe declines, so observation must never involve handling, boot-to-pond contamination, or moving animals between waters. Stay on durable edges, disinfect field gear between watersheds, and report observations through approved conservation channels.
- Status
- Colorado-endangered population threatened by chytrid fungus
- Best clue
- Warty toad with a pale stripe down the back and no cranial crests
- Colorado habitat
- High-elevation wetlands, ponds, and willow edges in the Southern Rockies
Quick guide
- Observe
- From a dry bank with clean footwear
- Report
- Location and photograph to conservation staff when requested
Field decisions for Southern Rocky Mountain Boreal Toad
- Check the stripe
- Look for a pale line down the back combined with warty skin and no prominent cranial crests.
- Listen quietly
- Breeding males give a soft chirping call rather than the loud trill associated with many true toads.
- Prevent disease
- Never handle the animal; clean and dry boots and equipment before entering another wetland.
- Keep water clear
- Remain out of shallow breeding margins and report sick or dead amphibians to wildlife staff.
Good to know
Leave Southern Rocky Mountain Boreal Toad unidentified when “Warty toad with a pale stripe down the back and no cranial crests” and “High-elevation wetlands, ponds, and willow edges in the Southern Rockies” cannot both be documented; an explicit uncertainty is more useful than a forced match.
Notice these
- Warty toad with a pale stripe down the back and no cranial crests
- High-elevation wetlands, ponds, and willow edges in the Southern Rockies
- Colorado-endangered population threatened by chytrid fungus