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Oak Toad — Part 4
Most curious are these large, uncouth creatures, with their great strength of body, their protective rhinoceros-like skins, and their greatly contrasting meek appearance and gentle voice and manner. The question of their survival in contest with other races is a very interesting one.
Bufo alvarius is said to have habits similar to those of our most common toads.
Bufo valliceps is unusual among North American batrachia in the appearance of its head. The head is broad and shallow, and except for the bright eyes, seems wholly made up of high bony crests separating variously shaped bony concavities.
This toad is variable in colour and has much power to change colour. It may be black with touches of rich orange and yellow-brown, so that it looks like a piece of burned wood. With such colouring, the underparts may be as dark as the upper surface. Such colouration may change within half an hour to delicate fawn-colour or dove-grey, with the light bands and spots cream white. At such a time the underparts are white also. Among the medium shades, changes take place rapidly between greys, warm browns, and olive-greens. In each case the light colour of the lengthwise bands harmonizes with the background, so that a pleasing colour effect is produced. Young specimens may have the throat bright yellow.
The crests of the head are usually black, even when the head itself is light, but they also may become light in colour on a long enough exposure to sunshine.
Bufo valliceps is alert and active, but is less wild than most North American species. It is evidently less used to burrowing--as we should judge from its foot structure--and so does not become alarmed when finding itself in a place where there is nothing under which to hide. When annoyed, it gives high-pitched, bird-like notes. There is no appearance of a vocal pouch.
Bufo punctatus is one of our most easily distinguished toads. It has not the usual fat squat form of the toads, but is more slender, and is rather delicately moulded, in fact. The hands and feet are peculiarly small and delicate. The shape of the head and its granular roughness are very distinctive features. Adult specimens may be so small that they do not exceed Hyla versicolor in size, or Hyla arenicolor, their companion in the ponds in May. On the other hand, specimens from Lower California may be large (3 inches) and may differ not only in size, but also in showing a pattern of spots and stripes. The species is apparently closely related to Bufo debilis and Bufo valliceps.
Dr. Stejneger gives the following colour description of specimens collected in 1889 at the bottom of the Grand Canon. (These specimens are similar to those collected in the region of the Little Colorado River by Mollhausen.) "Above 'malachite-green,' densely speckled with small dots of bright vermilion; limbs paler, dotted with vermilion and also with minute black specks, which likewise occur on the flanks; region surrounding nostrils black; upper lip and whole under surface bluish white, irregularly speckled with black; posterior part of belly and underside of thighs dark brownish flesh-colour; soles dull orange."
In captivity these toads make small burrows in moss or soft earth, and sit patiently hour after hour with just the bright eyes showing at the doors of their burrows. When taken in the hand, the male gives a faint bird-like note. Its dusky throat can extend into a large rounded vocal pouch. The habits and life history of Bufo punctatus are not recorded.
Bufo debilis is a small burrowing toad with an appearance and range remarkably like those of Bufo punctatus. It can always be distinguished from the latter, however, by its smaller size, its shorter legs, and its unusually large parotoid glands.