The Rocky Mountain Toad 



proximity to water, the toad hops eagerly towards it and squats in 

 a place where it is shallow. After sitting quietly for a few mo- 

 ments, he turns around once or twice, then puts the water up on 

 his eyes and the top of his head by means of his hands, using first 

 one and then the other. This is not surprising, for we have seen 

 the front feet used as hands in a similar movement during moulting 

 or eating. However, there follows a most unusual movement, 

 showing that the hind legs can be put to uses other than those of 

 burrowing and locomotion. The wet feet are lifted one at a time, 

 and their under surfaces are rubbed very dexterously over the 

 toad's back and sides until all is wet. Finally, the hind legs are 

 stretched backward and rubbed together in the water in a fashion 

 that reminds us of the similar movement of the hind legs of a fly. 

 The throat of the male is black, and expands into a rounded 

 resonating sac when the toad gives its call. This call consists of 

 a single tone, which is vibrated, and which lasts several seconds. 

 It is high-pitched and extremely sweet; in fact, it would take 

 a practiced ear to distinguish the call from that of the American 



toad. 



Bufo leniiginosus and Bufo americanus do not show a series 



of intergrading forms in a district intermediate in position to 

 their respective southern and northern centres of distribution. 

 Instead, they seem to be distinct species occupying the same lo- 

 calities where their ranges overlap. 



THE ROCKy MOUNTAIN TOAD 

 Bujo leniiginosus woodhousei Girard 



Identification Characteristics 

 Colour: Usually dingy greyish or yellowish brown, with much 

 yellow on the lower sides and on the concealed portion of the 

 femur. The toad may be conspicuously spotted with dark 

 (Figs. 71 and 73), or unspotted, the rounded warts alone being 

 dark-coloured. There is a light vertebral streak. Underparts 

 light yellowish, unspotted, except for aggregations of small black 

 spots on the breast. (Figs. 69 and 73.) Eye metallic yellow. 

 Throat of male black. Tips of fingers and toes dark-coloured. 

 (For one phase of colouration, see Colour Plate IV.) 



Measurements: Size unusually large, i. e. male 3^ to 4 inches. 



91 



