[Robodie]

...or, I have three resident toads that I would appreciate any help in identifying. I'll attempt to attach pics, but the color is a bit off with every one I take!

They all came from the same driveway this spring, two within minutes of each other, the 3rd about two weeks later. They were all the same size (about as big as a nickel, maybe smaller) but two are now twice the size of the other. I assumed those two were females, until one tried to mount the other...and the other squeaked. Sooo...confusion ensues!

Finn: Tiny little guy, very dark brown but has recently developed an almost reddish hue, especially on his head. His lower half and chest are lighter with very contrasting mottling.

Tree Trunks AKA Princess Lumpy: Pale greyish, also heavily mottled, hard to describe her actual color...

Jake: Definitely leucistic, pink with a slight yellow undertone. Big girl (we thought girl, anyway, until her repeated attempt to climb Tree Trunks!), very people / food oriented.

I live in SW MO, where we have Eastern Americans and Dwarf Americans primarily. It's also one of the small areas where both have been known to breed with Fowler's and Woodhouse species.

So yeah, one heck of a time trying to ID, especially since I'm FAAAR from an expert!

Any help with ID, or even age and sex would be forever appreciated! Many thanks,

Robodie

 

[Robodie]

Sorry for the water spots and general poor photo quality. In the first, you can barely see Finn and he's very washed out. He's also quite camera shy.

Jake, on the other hand, happily mugs for her photo shoot!

 

[ciscorox]

I'm by far not a toad expert, but to me it kind of looks albino, the way its sorta pinkish if you really look at it. Is an albino toad even possible?

 

[Robodie]

Thanks for your reply! Still trying to figure out these mystery toads.

The pinkish one, Jake -- I thought she was albino at first too, except she has normal toad eyes (black and gold) instead of albino pink / red. Apparently that means she's leucistic, which is very similar, except the eyes don't lack their normal pigmentation. Kinda hard to explain, I'd never heard of it before Jake. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucism

She looks 100% albino otherwise, I can even see the dark shadow of her organs through her belly!

In this area with Eastern American and Dwarf American crossbreeding with Fowler's and Woodhouse...plus all being so differently colored, identification is frustrating!

 

[TheCoop]

Albino no, leucistic maybe. I believe most if not all forms of albanism carry the pink/bue eye trait.

Either way great looking toads! Toads in general have always been a favorite of mine due to appetite and boldness!

 

[tardis101]

Missouri has a few toad species (American toad, Fowler's toad, woodhouse's toad, spadfoot, or great plains toad). They are definitely not spadefoot toads. You said you're in southwest Missiouri, so it shouldn't be the great plains toad, or woohouse's toad. So that narrows you down to American toad or Fowler's toad. I've never heard of dwarf American, I guess that's a subspecies I'm not familiar with. Fowler's toads have multiple warts per spot, while American toads usually only has one or two. Hope that helps.

Mike