Sonoran Desert Toad (Colorado River Toad)

The Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) is the largest native toad in the United States and one of the most iconic amphibians of the Southwest. They’re bold, chunky, and perfectly adapted to extreme desert life.

🌵 Where They Live

Range: Southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico

Habitat: Desert lowlands, grasslands, agricultural canals, washes

Key factor: Summer monsoon rains—they spend much of the year underground

During dry months, they estivate (a form of hibernation) in burrows, emerging dramatically after heavy rains.

🐸 Size & Appearance

Length: 6–7.5 inches (sometimes larger!)

Color: Olive, gray, or brown with smooth, rubbery skin

Distinctive feature: Massive parotoid glands behind the eyes (toxin glands)

Eyes: Golden with horizontal pupils

They often look more like living footballs than toads 😄

🦗 Diet

Insects (beetles, roaches)

Small rodents

Lizards

Other amphibians

They’re opportunistic ambush predators—if it moves and fits, it’s fair game.

💧 Breeding Behavior

Breeding is triggered by monsoon rains

Males call from temporary pools, ditches, and flooded areas

Females lay long strings of eggs

Tadpoles develop very quickly to beat drying water

☠️ Defense & Toxins (Important!)

Sonoran Desert Toads secrete a powerful toxin from their parotoid glands containing:

Bufotoxins

5-MeO-DMT

⚠️ Key safety points:

Toxins can be fatal to dogs

Never allow pets to mouth or lick them

Human contact should be minimal; always wash hands

Collection or harassment is illegal in many areas

Because of this, they are not suitable pets and are protected wildlife in much of their range.

🧠 Fun & Fascinating Facts

Can absorb water directly through their skin and bladder

May gain 30% of their body weight after soaking

Live 10–15 years in the wild

Spend most of their lives unseen underground

🌍 Conservation Notes

Not currently endangered, but threatened by:

Habitat loss

Road mortality during monsoons

Illegal collection

They play an important role in controlling insect and rodent populations.