THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Amphibia    Anura    Bufonidae  

Houston Toad
Anaxyrus houstonensis (Sanders, 1953)

Current SSAR Comments:
This species hybridizes with A. woodhousii (as well as with Incilius nebulifer); both hybrid and non-hybrid individuals can be difficult to identify with respect to A. woodhousii. Taxonomists and conservationists working on this endangered species consistently recognize it as distinct. Recent work confirmed a close historical relationship with A. americanus and supported recognition as a species (Sirsi et al., 2024, Science Reports, 14: 3306).

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2024.07.15.12.27.58)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.03 MB

Province/State Distribution:
USA: Texas

First instance(s) of published English names:
Houston Toad (Bufo houstonensis: Conant, Roger, Fred R. Cagle, Coleman J. Goin, Charles H. Lowe, Wilfred T. Neill, M. Graham Netting, Karl P. Schmidt, Charles E. Shaw, Robert C. Stebbins, and Charles M. Bogert. 1956. Common names for North American amphibians and reptiles. Copeia 1956(3):172-185); Houston Toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis: Frost, Darrel R., Roy W. McDiarmid, Joseph R. Mendelson III, and David M. Green. 2012. Anura - Frogs. Pages 11-22 in Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 39. pp.);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
Amphibian Species of the World
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1953 Sanders, Ottys. A new species of toad, with a discussion of morphology of the bufonid skull. Herpetologica 9(1):25-47
1963 Blair, W. Frank. Intragroup genetic compatibility in the Bufo americanus species group of toads. Texas Journal of Science 15(1):15-34
1964 Sanders, Ottys and J. C. Cross. Relationships between certain North American toads as shown by cytological study. Herpetologica 19(4):248-255
1973 Brown, L. E. Bufo houstonensis. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (133):1–2
1973 Martin, R. F. Osteology of North American Bufo: The americanus, cognatus, and boreas species groups. Herpetologica 29(4):375-387
1984 Hillis, David M., A. M. Hillis, and R. F. Martin. Reproductive ecology and hybridization of the endangered Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis). Journal of Herpetology 18(1):56-72
1996 Green, David M. The bounds of species: Hybridization in the Bufo americanus group of North American toads. Israel Journal of Zoology 42():95-109
2004 Pauly, Gregory B., David M. Hillis, and David C. Cannatella. The history of a Nearctic colonization: Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of the Nearctic toads (Bufo). Evolution 58():2517-2535
2005 Lannoo, Michael (Editor) Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University fo California Press, Berkeley. 1115pp.
2008 Pauly, Gregory B. Phylogenetic systematics, historical biogeography, and the evolution of vocalizations in Nearctic toads (Bufo). Dissertation. University of Texas, Austin. 165pp.
2013 Dodd, C. Kenneth. Frogs of the United States and Canada. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 982pp.
2015 Brown, Donald J., Todd M. Swannack, and Michael R. J. Forstner. Using calling activity to predict calling activity: A case study with the endangered Houston Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] houstonensis). The Journal of North American Herpetology 2015(1):12-16
2016 Peralta-Garcia, Anny, Dean H. Leavitt, Bradford D. Hollingsworth, and Tod W. Reeder. The phylogenetic position of the Little Mexican Toad, Anaxyrus kelloggi, using molecular data. Journal of Herpetology 50(3):471-475
2023 Dodd, C. Kenneth. Frogs of the United States and Canada. Second Edition. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 1032pp.
2024 Sirsi, Shashwat, David Rodriguez, and Michael R. J. Forstner. Using genome‑wide data to ascertain taxonomic status and assess population genetic structure for Houston Toads (Bufo [=Anaxyrus] houstonensis). Scientific Reports 14(1):3306

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Monday 24 March 2025 21:30 CT