Wildlife Spotting

Haaa! Toad bellies lie. Nice one. lol

Unfortunately the paratoid gland/cranial crest character is usually pretty hard to see in the pictures on Noah, you have to have a pretty clear picture of the right angle, and that doesn't happen often. Don't worry, the more toads you look at, the more you will start to see it! And yea, I would only use the belly character if you can't see the back at all. But some American Toad bellies lie to you haha :)

And you just made mine AshleyT! :) Thanks for the info. I do actually know about the paratoid glands. I didn't cite them because I'm not really comfortable with them yet. Also, thanks for letting me know I'm probably overvaluing the venter as an indicator.

It makes me feel really good about myself that you think I'm an expert, k.andrews6! Just made my day :) The best character for determining toads is the shape of the paratoid glands and where they are placed in relation to the cranial crests. Between Fowler's and American, the belly is a pretty good character, but some American toads have an unspotted belly. But if you can't see the paratoid glands and cranial crests enough, then the number of warts per dark spot is what I go off of next :)

Also, the venter (belly) of a toad is a key factor in determining the species of toad as well. How many, if any, and where the spots are located. This statement was originally in my first comment but my phone decided to eat that one. :(

It's a little tough to tell from the picture, but my guess would be Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus). It seems to be outside the range of Wood house's Toad. Fowler's Toad, which I think is in this range, generally have multiple warts per black spot, 3 or more I think. E.A. Toads usually have only one or maybe two. This looks like it has only a single wart on the dorsal black spots. It also doesn't seem to have a light stripe down it's back which is also indicative of Fowler's. Maybe AshleyT will chime in, she's an expert regarding amphibians and reptiles.

A toad