The California Toad 



THE CALIFORNIA TOAD 



Bufo halophilus Baird 



Identification Characteristics 



Colour: Dusky and unspotted above, or light and conspicu- 

 ously spotted (even on hands and feet). (Figs. 121 and 122.) 

 When light, the colour may be yellow, grey or green, in tone. Eye 

 bright metallic yellow. There is a vertebral streak. (Fig. 125.) 

 The larger warts are coloured like the background, have red-brown 

 centres, and are set in the black spots. Legs spotted or barred. 

 Toes tipped with brown. Underparts dingy white, spotted with 

 black. (Fig. 123.) Male may be nearly black on the underparts. 



Measurements: Size large, i.e. length 4 to 5 inches; female 

 larger than male. Head relatively short, about quarter the total 

 length. Legs short, those of the female shorter relatively than 

 those of the male. The femur scarcely shows outside the skin of 

 the body. Length of leg to heel equals length of body forward 

 to the ear. Fingers do not vary greatly in length. Fifth toe 

 slightly shorter than third. 



Structure: Skin with scattered low rounded warts of medium 

 or large size, skin smooth and shining between the warts. Warts 

 distributed everywhere, on legs and feet, on head and eyelids. 

 Large glandular elevations on the tibia. (Fig. 125.) Outline of 

 jaw rounded. (Fig. 123,) Length of head in front of eye not 

 greater than the long diameter of the eye. Descent of muzzle 

 steep in front and under eye. Upper jaw indented in the midline. 

 Muzzle projects slightly beyond the jaw. Nostrils on a vertical 

 line with the jaw. No bony crests on the head. Space between 

 the eyes greater than the width of the eyelid. Eye large. Ear 

 round, small (one-third to one-half diameter of eye.) Arms of 

 male very muscular. Palm with one large and one smaller tubercle; 

 also closely set with many small tubercles. The tubercles under 

 some of the fmger-joints are prominent, i. e., first and second fin- 

 gers have one each, third and fourth, two each. First, second 

 and third fingers of male black and horny on their inner margins. 

 Foot thick and broad; tarsal fold from heel to base of inner toe. 

 Toes broadly webbed, webs variable in their amount of indenta- 

 tion. Both outer and inner sole tubercles large. 



Range; Type locality, Benicia, California. Reported from San 



113 



