Description: This toad is easily identifiable by its small size and green coloration. The head is wedge-shaped, and is noticeably flattened. The cranial crests are reduced and are spotted with a discontinous series of black-tipped warts. In males, the throat coloration is dusky or black, whereas in females, it is yellow or white.

The tadpole of Anaxyrus debilis has a rounded body, and the anal tube opening is found on the right side of the tail fin. The eyes are situated dorsally, and the tail fins are only moderately developed. The abdomen is black with golden flecks. Even when they are well grown, they are relatively transparent.

Habitat: Green toads are desert-dwelling toads whose habitats include the northern Chihuahuan desert. This desert includes shrubs, semi-desert, and shrub steppe habitats. Many of these areas are unvegetated. Green toads burrow in mesquite (Prosopis) shrubs, which provide shelter and a means to regulate the toads body temperature.

During the dry season, green toads can be found under rocks. After rainfall, green toads will breed in temporary water sources such as roadside ditches and vernal pools. It has been found that juvenile toads will bask on mud banks in an attempt to increase their internal body temperature to as high as 86 ℉. Toadlets will also seek refuge in fissures in the mud.

Elevational limits or ranges have not been reported. However, those populations at higher, cooler elevations use burrows for a longer amount of time than those at lower elevations.

Range: Green toads (Anaxyrus debilis) are located in the Nearctic region, specifically, the southwestern United States. The largest populations of green toads are found in northern Mexico. In Mexico, they range from the Mexico-Texas border southward to Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. They also exist just south of the Arizona border. In the United States, green toads range from central Texas northwards towards southwestern Oklahoma and western Kansas. They can also be found in southeastern Colorado and southeastern Arizona. Green toads do not migrate.

Found in these States: AZ | CO | NM | OK | TX

Diet: Green toad tadpoles feed on algae found in the substrate of ephemeral pools. They also feed on detritus and periphyton. The diets of 10 green frogs in the Chihuahuan Desert have been examined and their diets included beetles (Order Coleoptera, 12% of volume), ants (Order Hymenoptera, 31%), termites (Isoptera, 56%), caterpillars (Order Lepidoptera, 0.5%), and earwigs (Dermaptera, 0.02%). Plant matter was also found in stomach contents. They may also eat a variety of insects, like grasshoppers and crickets.

Reproduction: Green toads are iteroparous, leaving their burrows after heavy rainfall to mate. Some green toads will travel several kilometers to different breeding sites with water. Green toads will migrate to multiple bodies of water during one season. Male green toads join in chorus to attract females. Female green toads will locate males to mate. These anurans exhibit rapid short-term breeding events just after heavy rainfall. Their breeding often lasts one night. Reproductively-active males are v SVL. In southwest New Mexico, females in amplexus were 1.75 to 2.1 inches SVL. During amplexus, female green toads lay, on average, 1,287 eggs. Green toad eggs are laid in small strings. The eggs attach to herbaceous stems, including grass. Egg size ranges from 0.03 to 0.04 inches.

Embryos found in southwest Arizona hatched within 24 hours with water temperatures at 91.7 ℉. When water temperature was at 65 ℉, the time required for hatching was 140 hours. Tadpoles are immediately independent at hatching.

Status: Green toads do not have special status on the US federal list, CITES, and the State of Michigan List. They are listed as a species of "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List. Green toads are protected by Kansas. They are also protected by Mexican law.

Taxonomy: