Range
The western toad is found throughout Oregon except most of the Willamette Valley. They live at a variety of elevations, from sea level up to 7,370 feet in the Steens Mountains.
Description
This is a large toad, averaging 4.5 inches in length, with dry, bumpy skin and horizontal pupils. It ranges from reddish-brown to gray to olive green in color, and has a cream-colored stripe that runs down the middle of its back.
Diet and habitat
Tadpoles feed on algae and detritus, and adults feed on small invertebrates including ants, beetles, spiders, earthworms and crayfish. It is found within a wide diversity of habitats, including grasslands, woodlands, forests, mountain meadows and desert flats that provide suitable water sources.
Predators and threats
It is preyed upon by garter snakes, coyotes, raccoons and birds such as ravens, gray jays, spotted sandpipers and mallard ducks. Primary threats include loss of wetlands.
Reproduction
Adult female toads require shallow water for laying clutches of up to 16,000 eggs that hatch in three to 10 days. Tadpoles only take a couple months to reach adulthood.