The glorious Colorado River Toad (Sonoran Desert Toad)

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Incilius alvarius is the most basal of the Incilius group. Formerly most toads, and particularly the toads of the New World, were nested in the genus ‘Bufo’. Several years ago, this group was split into several genera with the majority of North American bufonids placed into the Anaxyrus genus. The Colorado River Toad is one of the exceptions. One of the largest toads, I. alvarius is a magnificent species with several extra-partotoid glands located throughout it’s body. It’s poison is also uncommon in the bufonid world, containing hallucinogenic compounds along with the bufotoxin. For this reason, the species has been over-collected. That in addition to the pressures that all of today’s amphibian communities have to face (climate change, habitat loss, emergent infectious disease, etc …) this species is considered declining throughout much of its range. We are grateful to have a breeding group of these animals to work with (donation courtesy of Reigning Reptiles) — and hope to breed them over the summer. #Incilius #alvarius #Inciliusalvarius #Toad #Toads #Frog #Frogs #FrogsOfInstagram #CaptiveBreeding #ReigningReptiles

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