East Texas ToadAnaxyrus "velatus"

The East Texas Toad is a problematic taxon.  It has been variously recognized as:

• a valid species - Anaxyurs velatus
• a subspecies of Woodhouse's Toad - Anaxyrus woodhousei velatus
• a form of Fowler's Toad - Anaxyrus fowleri
• a hybrid between Fowler's and Woodhouse's Toads - Anaxyrus fowleri x woodhousei

So which is it?  I don't presume to know.  I do know these medium sized toads are fairly common in the woodlands of eastern Texas and western Louisiana.  The problem is that their characteristics are somewhat intermediate between Woodhouse's and Fowler's Toads.  Woodhouse's and Fowler's Toads have been variously regarded as the same species, subspecies of the same species and as separate species.

There is a good summary of the changing and historical status of the East Texas Toad taken from Michael Lannoo's account on Amphibia Web here.

For my purposes here, I just have a recording of one of these toads from eastern Texas.  You can decide what to call it yourself!

East Texas (Fowler's) Toad
Tyler County, Texas 

East Texas (Fowler's) Toad
Cherokee County, Texas

Here is the recording of the toad from Cherokee County in the picture above.  (There is a Gray Treefrog calling in the background)

And here is a recording of a Fowler's Toad from Little Rock, Arkansas.

They sure sound the same to my ear!

© Chris Harrison 2015