portrait giant fat toad

A huge woodhouse's toad (Bufo woodhousii) photographed in Socorro Co., New Mexico. This may be the last thing many insects see before this giant toad swallows them. I was able to observe and photograph this toad one night when she was hopping around a man-made pond used for irrigation. There were several other woodhouse's toads there, but she was the biggest.

Woodhouse's toad living in a drainpipe

Woodhouse's toad with a curious dog

A few years after the previous photo was taken, I was back visiting the same ranch in Socorro Co., New Mexico. While there, I noticed another huge woodhouse's Toad (Bufo woodhousii) that spent much of her time living in this drainage pipe sunk into the ground. Based on sheer size, I wondered if she was the same big toad I had photographed two years earlier.

Several friendly, curious dogs also live at this ranch. They roam all over the grounds, sniffing around and catching rodents. They showed some curiosity about this toad, but never tried to take a bite of her!

All text and photographs © Michael F. Benard
For information on using this photograph, contact me via email at:
mfbenard -{at}- gmail dot com

Frog Photographs

Frog Call Recordings

Amphibiaweb article on Bufo woodhousii

USGS article on Bufo woodhousii