KEYS TO TROGS AND TOADS 



40. "Beak broadly pigmented, the lower niaiulihle dark nearly to its base; belly lightly 

 pigmented, the viscera usually visible through the skin." (Walker, 1946) ... 42 



41. When full grown, the largest North American tadpole, sometimes three inches in 

 length; body color typically greenish (considerable variation); tail pigmented with 

 roundish black spots, more numerous dorsally than ventrally; state-wide. 



Bullfrog, Rana catesheiana Shaw. 



41. Maximum size much less than three inches; "tail with moderate to large spots as 

 blotches which are not sharply outlined; lower half of tail often as densely pig- 

 mented as upper." Eastern half of Oklahoma, rare except extreme east. 



Green Frog, Rana clamitans Latreille. 



42. Tail crest light, clear or with scattered irregular bits of pigment; state-wide, abun- 

 dant. Southwestern Leopard Frog, Rana beiiandieri Baird. 



42. Tail crest dark, large blotches of pigment which tend to fuse; .southeastern Okla- 

 homa only. Rare. Pickerel Frog, Rana palustris Le Conte. 



43. Color iridescent light cream to medium gray or brown, never very dark; size at 

 metamorphosis larger (up to 65 mm.) 44 



43. Color very dark gray or dark bronze with coppery or golden sheen; whole appear- 

 ance dark rather than light; small at metamorphosis (up to 35 mm.) .... 35 



44. Upper jaw with prominent median beak, lower with corresponding deep notch; 

 jaw muscles large and bulging; lips thick; western Oklahoma only. 



Western Spadefoot, Scaphioptis liammondii Baird. 



44. Jaws with no prominent beak and notch; jaw muscles moderate; lips not notably 

 thick. Plains Spadefoot, Scaphioptis botnbijrons (Cope). 



45. Ground color dorsally dark gray to nearly black, sometimes with slight sheen; 

 often with a small cream or yellow bar at dorsal tail base; Eastern half of Okla- 

 homa and on large flood plains westward an uncertain distance. 



Savannah Spadefoot, Scaphiopiis hurtcrii Strecker. 



45. Ground color coppery or bronze with a marked sheen, or peppered light and dark 



with little sheen, sometimes with some golden spots; southwestern Oklahoma only, 



north to Custer County. Southern Spadefoot, Scaphioptis couchii Baird. 



III. ADULTS 



1. Parotoid glands prominently present behind eyes. (Bufo) 2 



1. Parotoid glands absent • ° 



2. Cranial crests very slightly developed or absent 3 



2. Crainal crests present and well developed 5 



3. Parotoid glands small and approaching a circular outline; color dorsally brown or 

 greenish; tips of warts commonly red; toes, soles, and palms often salmon or pink; 

 western Oklahoma mostly in rocky areas; rare except in Wichita Mountains. 



Canyon Toad, Btifo ptinctattis Baird and Girard. 



3. Parotoid glands not approaching circular 4 



4. Parotoid glands nearly triangular, broader than long; body size small (maximum 

 total length about 32 mm.); dorsal color typically green mixed with less amounts 

 of black, sometimes brown with some light color; ventral, clear white; body flat- 

 tened; short-grass plains and mesquite savannahs, western half of Oklahoma; not 

 abundant. Northern Little Green Toad, Biijo insidior Girard. 



4. Parotoid glands not approaching triangular, longer than broad; size of body large 

 (up to 100 mm.); dorsal color gray with a few scattered large darker spots, ventral 

 white; very abundant in short-grass plains and mesquite savannahs of southwest, 

 rare in northwest. Desert Toad, Btijo compactilis Wiegmann. 



5. Cranial crests converging anteriorly between ej'es to a boss in such a way as to form 

 a distinct V, especially on medium sized individuals (in larger ones the boss is 

 better developed and the apex of the V is open); dorsal color brown, gray or 

 greenish with from four to six large approximately paired, dark spots, character- 

 istically ringed with lighter color; grasslands in western two-thirds of Oklahoma, 

 very abundant. Great Plains Toad, Btifo cognattis Say. 



17 



