1 1 2 Zoology of Colorado 



It may be, however, that it is pseudoaztec, and really a corruption 

 of the Spanish agua lote, water lizard. The Ambystoma is our 

 only example of the Caudata, or tailed amphibians; though the 

 many-ribbed Triton (Eurycea multiplicata of Cope) was found by 

 Professor J. Henderson in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, 

 and may yet turn up in Southern Colorado. This triton is other- 

 wise known from Missouri and adjacent States, and apparently 

 spread into the Rocky Mountain region at a time when the plains 

 were less arid. It now survives in northern New Mexico, and 

 probably other restricted localities, but it is in general ill fitted for 

 life in the now arid southwest. 



Our remaining amphibians are all Salientia, the word re- 

 ferring to their jumping powers. They are, as every one knows, 

 tailed tadpoles when young, tailless frogs and toads when adult. 

 We have in Colorado four families of these animals, the Pelobatidae 

 or Burrowing Toads, the Bufonidae, or typical Toads, the Hylidae, 

 commonly called Tree Frogs, and the Ranidae, or typical Frogs. 

 The first two are terrestrial when adult, the others mostly more or 

 less aquatic, with smooth skin. The Burrowing Toads are repre- 

 sented in Colorado by the Western Spade-foot Toad (Scaphiopus 

 hammondi of Baird), a brownish or grayish animal, the tubercles 

 more or less red or yellow. The pupil of the eye is vertical, which 

 is not the case in the true toads. It has been found in the vicinity 

 of Greeley by Professor Beardsley. Of typical toads (Bufo) we 

 have six species, mostly found east of the mountains, or in the 

 foothills. The Sonoran Toad (Bufo debilis of Girard) is a southern 

 species which comes as far north as the vicinity of Trinidad. It 

 is readily known by the absence of bony crests on the head above, 

 and the unspotted under surface. Related to it, but spotted 

 beneath, is the Mountain Toad (B. boreas of Baird and Girard). 

 This occurs in the mountains, quite high up, as at Redrock Lake 

 in Boulder County. A third related form, the Red-spotted Toad 

 (£. punctatus of Baird and Girard) was found by Henderson and 

 Coffin in San Miguel County, at about 6,500 feet elevation. Like 

 B. debilis, it is without the ventral spotting, but it is known by 

 having the warts conspicuously tipped with red or orange. It is 

 a small toad, two or three inches long. The remaining three 

 species have bony crests on the head. If the median crests are 

 parallel, joining the lateral crests at right angles, we have Wood- 



