Chihuahuan Green TOAD

Anaxyrus debilis

Chihuahuan Green Toad Identification- Photo by Rémi Pattyn (Baca County, CO)

Map accurate as of 1/31/2024

Identification: ​A smaller, thin-bodied toad of 2.5-5 cm SVL. Has a narrow, angular head and eyes that are minimally raised from the skull. Often a bright green color with small black spots across their back. Skin is bumpy. Male toads have a darker black throat patch, while females do not. Tadpoles are less than 2.5 cm TL, generally lighter colored than other Anaxyrus larvae, and can have darker stripe/dotting pigmentation shortly before metamorphosis (Hammerson, 1999). Recent metamorphs resemble adults, though are only about 1.3 cm SVL.

Habitat: Are known to occupy a variety of habitats in Colorado including short grass prairies, shale outcrops, canyon bottoms, and rocky arroyos. Their narrow head allows them to squeeze between rocky sandstone layers and take shelter in cracks/underground during the day and periods of drought. They also utilize several different types of breeding habitats such as stock ponds, shallow culverts, and arroyo pools (Lambert, 2024).

Reproduction: Breeding in Colorado takes place in temporary pools following heavy spring time rains. In Otero County, Chihuahuan green toad breeding sites were also commonly synonymous with those of the couch’s spadefoot (Lambert, 2024). Males can also be found exhibiting calls following late-summer monsoon rains, which have been reported to result in positive breeding events (Hammerson, 1999). Male calls resemble a low buzzing sound and can last almost 10 seconds.

Diet: Primarily consists of invertebrates. Upon investigating the stomach contents of three deceased individuals, Hammerson noted two contained black ants and the third had consumed a small beetle (Hammerson, 1999).

Distribution: Chihuahuan green toads can be found throughout Mexico, into southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas and Oklahoma, western Kansas, and southeastern Colorado (NatureServe, 2026). In Colorado, they occupy the grasslands and canyons south of the Arkansas river. There is also a disjunct population still present in Kansas along the Smoky Hill River and Ladder Creek drainages, bordering Cheyenne County, Colorado (Taggert, 2025)

Activity: General annual activity in Colorado ranges from late April to early September, though is always flexible given seasonal temperatures and recent rainfall. Are commonly found on warm nights during/after rain, and can be detected on foot or by vehicle. Adults can occasionally be found active during the day, usually hopping alongside a breeding pool or other body of water.

​Conservation Status: Chihuahuan green toads were assigned the ranking of ‘Not SGCN’ according to the 2025 CPW State Wildlife Action Plan (CPW, 2026). Recent studies have confirmed this toad to be locally abundant at breeding sites and still occupies its historic range. Like most amphibians, prolonged drought may be detrimental to this species.

Natural Predators: There are no currently known cases of predation events on Chihuahuan green toads in Colorado, though it can be assumed that predators may include snakes, small mammals, and larger anurans.

References
Hammerson, G. A. (1999). Green Toad. In Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado (2nd ed., pp. 103-105). essay, University Press of Colorado.
Lambert, B. 2024. Tier 2 Amphibian Survey Project: 2022-2023 Surveys for the Green Toad, Couch’s Spadefoot, Western Narrow-mouthed Toad, and Blanchard’s Cricket Frog. Final Report to Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. 
NatureServe. (2026a, July 31). Chihuahuan Green Toad. NatureServeExplorer. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102043/Anaxyrus_debilis
Taggert, T. W. (2025, July 13). Chihuahuan Green Toad. Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas. https://webapps.fhsu.edu/ksherp/account.aspx?o=30&t=3

Account compiled by: Hayden Lewis
Reviewed by: 
Last updated: 8/18/2026