68: Western/Great Plains Narrow Mouthed Toad

I write to you from Arapahoe, Ute, and Cheyenne land. I am interested in learning about the different animals that live in the place where I was born. Before we start with today’s animal, I want to emphasize that biological classification as understood by western society has its roots in racism, sexism, and transphobia – here’s a good explainer about why.

First of all, Gastrophryne olivacea, the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad or western narrow-mouthed toad, is NOT a toad. Switchup! It is actually a microhylid, a narrow-mouthed frog whose family evolved 66 million years ago, right after the Cretaceous Extinction Event. So what’s with the name? These frogs are terrestrial – hence toad. They are also known as Ant-Eating Toads because, well, we’ve talked in the past about uncreative naming, particularly amongst our amphibians. Its skin excretes a toxic substance that is immune to ant bites; this is an evolutionary reaction to its favorite perch, atop an ant hill. The side effect is that if you touch one and then touch your eye, you’re gonna have a bad time.

The toad (frog) makes an interesting call that is similar to a buzzing bee. It likes to live in grasslands with rocky outcroppings, near rivers and streams, and can be found underneath wet logs or stones. However, due to being exceptionally small – around one inch in body length – it will be difficult to find. They will also be difficult to find in Colorado because they only live along the eastern fringe of the state, with the main bulk of their habitat being the stretch of Great Plains from Nebraska to Texas and into northern Mexico.

We’re almost at the end of our amphibian journey – only two more species remain on the list for Colorado! Not too many amphibians call our dry state home.