Nuptial pads

[Greg M]

Here are some pics of the nuptial pads on a large male Woodhouse's toad. The pics are a little blurry and the toes look slightly odd because Vida was trying to wiggle and was clenching his hand... Anyway, you can see the pads on his thumb (rightmost digit in pics)...

[Jace]

Thanks for posting pictures, Greg! Will all male toads have nuptial pads such as these?

[Greg M]

The nuptial pads in these pics are pretty typical of Anaxyrus males. Certainly, the local American, Woodhouse's, Fowler's, etc. toads look pretty much like this, sometimes darker... Vida's pads are present year round but seem darker and rougher in the spring... It's a good bet that any mature toad with a thick rough thumb is a male. The females (will post pic soon) have positively delicate thumbs by comparison.

[Jace]

At what age or size can you begin to start sexing toads?

[tgampper]

Thanks, for the pictures, Greg!

I think that most male species of frogs, toads and salamanders that engage in either inguinal or axillary amplexus will display nuptial pads. Inguinal amplexus is where the male grasps the female around the waist (as in clawed frogs and other primitive frogs) and axilliary is where the male grasps the female around the armpits (as in most toads, frogs and treefrogs).

I have two toads, Anaxyrus woodhousii and Duttaphrynus melanostictus, as well as ACFs and Surinam toads. Toads are very cool

[Greg M]

Hi Jo,

With American and Woodhouse's toads, at least, the males are sexually mature in 1-2 years, and the females in 2-3 years, on average. However, good husbandry in captivity can speed things up a lot - SethD has Southern Toads from this year that are already calling. Not sure if the females are mature or not - I believe Seth is hoping to breed them next spring, so I would imagine they are... I have a Woodhouse's toadlet from this year that is developing pads and a dark throat, but his cage-mate is not sexable yet. Part of the problem is deciding whether you have a slowly maturing male or a female... With Woodhouse's toads, the males usually become obvious at about 2 inches or so in length, and I think American toads are fairly similar...

Greg