Scientific Name – Anaxyrus boreas

Classification – Bufonidae

Baby Name – Tadpole

Collective Noun – Knot, lump, nest, or knob

Average Length – 5.6 to 13 cm (2.2 to 5.1 in)

Life Expectancy – 9 to 11 years

Breeding Season – Late January to July

Incubation Period – 3 to 10 days

Metamorphosis Period – Around 3 weeks

Special Features – Large and robust with a white or cream stripe against a dusky gray or greenish outer surface; mottled underside with horizontal pupils

Family Unit – Solitary except during the breeding season

Geographical Distribution – Western North America

World Population – Unknown, but estimated to be more than 1,00,000

Conservation Status – Least Concern

Natural Habitat – Desert streams and springs, found in or near ponds, rivers, lakes, reservoirs in grasslands and mountain meadows

Diet – Bees, ants, beetles, arachnids, sowbugs, crayfish, grasshoppers

Predators – Garter snakes, raccoons, coyotes, birds like crows and ravens