We have already seen ten of the worlds rarest frogs, but this is all about the toads and some of them really are amazing. Love them or hate them, toads are a valuable part of natures system and once they are gone they are gone forever. So it’s important to learn about these rare toads before they are gone forever.
The Dixie Valley Toad (Anaxyrus williamsi)
The Dixie Valley Toad (Anaxyrus williamsi)
There was not one, but 3 new species of toad found in a small area of Nevada’s Great Basin, but the Dixie Valley Toad is the rarest of them all and thought to only exist in a small area of the Great Basin. No conservation efforts at the moment, but the whole area is protected.
The Bornean Rainbow Toad (Ansonia latidisca)
The Bornean Rainbow Toad (Ansonia latidisca)
There aren’t many toads around the world that are as colourful as this one. But it is not the colour of the toad that makes it rare, it is the fact that it was thought extinct for almost 100 years! But it has recently resurfaced on its native island of Borneo. This whole island is protected so no conservation efforts are needed.
Wendy’s Forest Toad (Nectophrynoides wendyae)
Wendy’s Forest Toad (Nectophrynoides wendyae)
Wendy’s Forest Toad isn’t one for moving out of its area and is now only found in a small area of Tanzania, East Africa. In fact, it is just 300 square metres making it very localised which does at least make it easier to find.
The Golden Toad (Incilius periglenes)
The Golden Toad (Incilius periglenes)
This small toad looks more orange than gold to me, but one thing is for certain is that its numbers are in drastic decline making it very threatened. While it is thought to already be extinct there are reports that is not the case.
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Mesopotamia Beaked Toad (Rhinella rostrata)
Mesopotamia Beaked Toad (Rhinella rostrata)
As you might imagine with a toad so small it is hard to count species numbers, but given that it only lives in on a small slope in Mesopotamia does at least give conservationist a good place to start.
The Natterjack Toad (Epidalea clamita)
The Natterjack Toad (Epidalea clamita)
There are hundreds of species of toads in Ireland, but Ireland’s rarest amphibian is the Natterjack Toad. Its declining numbers are mostly down to habitat destruction, but there are conservation efforts to save this species which is nice to hear.
The Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides Asperginis)
The Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides Asperginis)
It was once thought there were thousands of this species of toad upstream of the Kihansi Falls in Tanzania, but the recent construction of a dam that diverted 90 of the water from those falls has seen a massive drop in species numbers. Sadly there are no known conservation efforts at the moment.
The Wyoming Toad (Bufo baxteri)
The Wyoming Toad (Bufo baxteri)
The bad news with this species is that it was thought to be extinct in the wild. But the good news is a local zoo with a breading pair stepped in and is not producing thousands more of this species for rehoming in the wild. Who says zoos are bad for animals?
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The Kandyan Dwarf Toad (Adenomus kandianus)
The Kandyan Dwarf Toad (Adenomus kandianus)
When the species numbers get as low as 2 you know it won’t last long. But thanks to a recent discovery it seems the species is on the bounce-back and while numbers are still drastically low it is on the return without human help.
The Betic Midwife Toad (Alytes Dickhilleni)
The Betic Midwife Toad (Alytes Dickhilleni)
This unusual toad is the only species of toad in the world that the males carry the fertilised eggs wrapped around their hind legs! Sadly it is threatened by habitat loss and while not as unusual looking as the others on this list it has survived 150 million years so far, so deserves to live a lot longer.
Sources Used…
- https://phys.org/news/2017-07-rare-discovery-toad-species-nevada.html
- https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/weird/Rare-Toad-Not-Seen-for-87-Years-Discovered-in-Borneo-125557053.html
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1390244/Worlds-rarest-toad-area-half-size-football-pitch-Tanzania.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2010/aug/09/wildlife-conservation
- https://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn18090extinction-crisis-continues/
- http://www.startribune.com/como-zoo-helps-rare-toad-escape-extinction/384212521/
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2008/jan/21/wildlife.conservation