Anaxyrus retiformis

Typical to Sonoran Desert, the Anaxyrus retiformis is a nice colorful green toad living only in the north of Mexico and in the south-western USA. The males, only 3,8-4,8 cm long, have a black throat, whilst that of the females is clear and they measure 4,5-5,8 cm. They both spend underground most of their lives waiting for the summer rains. When the moment comes the males rush, during the night, to the ephemeral pools of water well known to them and when the water level is deemed sufficient, they call, with an unmistakable croaking, the females for the coupling. Unlike most of toads, the eggs are not laid in strands but individually or in small groups. The tadpoles hatch after 2-3 days and the metamorphosis occurs very quickly, in 2-3 weeks at most, because the poles often disappear quite rapidly © Giuseppe Mazza