256 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



"this is a southern species which extends northward along the Colo- 

 rado River." Little is known concerning the habits and habitat 

 relations of this species. Ruthven,' who records Bufo punctatus 

 from Alamogordo, New Mexico, suggests that "it is possibly a canyon 

 form which has extended its range on to the desert floor by way of 

 irrigating ditches." The Colorado specimens were captured in Basin 

 or Dry Creek, a small, alkaline stream, where it cuts through a low 

 mountain range. This stream is probably entirely without water in 

 dry seasons except for a few very small pools. Basin Creek drains 

 into the San Miguel, which in turn, by way of the Dolores River, 

 finally drains into the Colorado River, the water ultimately passing 

 through the Grand Canyon locality mentioned by Stejneger, I.e. 

 Hence the toad may be expected along other western Colorado 

 streams. On Basin Creek Bufo punctatus was associated with Bufo 

 woodhousei Girard. 



In the key to the Bufonidae of Colorado" Bufo punctatus would 

 run to Bufo debilis Girard, to which it is very closely related. These 

 two species may be separated as follows: 



a. Warts tipped with red or orange; length of the hind leg from the base to the heel 

 reaching forward to the front of the eye or beyond; parotoid rather small. 



Bufo punctatus Baird and Girard 



aa. Warts not tipped with red or orange, or at least very slightly so; length of the 



hind leg from the base to the heel reaching forward to the ear; parotoid glands 



large Bufo debilis Girard 



Bufo woodhousei Girard 

 Woodhouse's Toad 



Greeley, August 13, 1902 (C.C); Naturita, June 15, 1914 (4S3); Basin Creek, 

 six miles west of Naturita, June 19, 1914 (454); reported common from Naturita to 

 Gypsum Creek in 1914 by Henderson. 



Bufo cognatus Say 



Western Toad 



Medano Ranch, Costilla County, July, 1909 (C.C). 



> Bull. Amer. Mus. Nal. Hist., Vol. XXIII, p. 507, 1907. 

 » Univ. Colo. Studies, Vol. X, p. 52, 1913. 



