The boreal toad is Colorado's only alpine amphibian. Photo © Steve Jones
A Native Amphibian In Decline
The boreal toad continues to slide toward extinction. A globally occurring disease affecting amphibians, commonly known as chydrid fungus, is believed to be the major factor in the decline of the Southern Rocky Mountain population of the boreal toad. Logging, overgrazing, and habitat degradation and loss due to climate change also push the toad closer to extinction.
Natural History
Boreal toads lack a cranial crest (the raised ridges between the eyes common on many toad species), and have a light colored stripe running down the length of their backs. They have fairly warty skin, and colors can vary from gray to green to brown. One way to distinguish the boreal toad from the main western toad species is by looking at its belly, which typically has a significant amount of dark blotches. Boreal toads inhabit a variety of high-altitude wet habitats (i.e., marshes, wet meadows, streams, beaver ponds, glacial kettle ponds, and subalpine forest lakes) at altitudes primarily between 8,000-11,500 feet. Isolated from other populations, the Southern Rocky Mountain population occurs from south-central Wyoming southward through the mountainous regions of Colorado to extreme north-central New Mexico.
Conservation Status
-Colorado Division of Wildlife Endangered Species
-Forest Service Sensitive Species
-New Mexico Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Action Taken
For a number of years, the boreal toad waited for formal federal protection on the Endangered Species Act candidate list. As the Southern Rockies populations continued their downward trend, Center for Native Ecosystems and several partner groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make an Endangered Species Act listing decision by late 2005. Unfortunately, the Service not only denied formal protection for the Southern Rocky Mountain population but also removed it from the ESA Candidate list. As it stands now, the Southern Rockies boreal toad population has no formal federal protection. We continue to pressure the Service to heed the steep declines in toad population as a basis for formal protection. In the meantime, we are playing an active role in protecting habitat and reintroducing this dwindling species to places like Rocky Mountain National Park.
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Boreal Toad Candidate Form
