As America Marks 250 Years, This Toad Is Vanishing. Can Texas Save It?

As America marks 250 years since its founding, one creature found only in the United States may not exist much longer. The Houston toad, native only in Texas, is struggling for survival, prompting desperate efforts from government officials and wildlife experts to save the species.

“Houston toads and amphibians in general serve as an indicator species,” said Matt Lammers, Houston Zoo’s Houston Toad Recovery Coordinator, in a state announcement about the toad. “They let us know when habitats are starting to hit an ecological tipping point.”

Habitats Declining

This land toad, which measures from 2 to 3.5 inches long, varies from light brown, gray and purple. It is only found in Texas where only about 300 live in the wild due to habitat loss.

Conversion of previously forested land for farming and development is wiping out wetland areas where the toads live, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“The Houston toad is endangered in large part due to poor habitat management. Almost every contemporary conservation question is ultimately a land management question,” Lammers said.

Government Intervention

A USFWS biological report issued six years ago on this endangered amphibian noted that captive propagation efforts have helped increase the numbers of Houston toads, but they face an uncertain future due to a continuous decline in habitat.

“We believe the toad won’t survive without active habitat management and restoration,” said Greg Creacy, natural resources program director for Texas State Parks. “But the same is true for many other species that depend on healthy, resilient landscapes.”

The dire situation has prompted a joint partnership between TPWD, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Houston Zoo and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy to reintroduce the species into the wild.

TPWD officials recently released 1 million toad eggs at Bastrop State Park in central Texas. In the spring, batches of 200,000 eggs were released into shallow ponds typical for wild breeding.

The goal is to reverse shrinking populations—and also for the species to signal the state of the environment in Texas since the species indicates overall habitat health.

Paul Crump, TPWD herpetologist, noted in a public announcement that “partnership is a key element of the program.”

Bags of eggs were placed in the water to be acclimated. “From there, they [toad eggs] are released into the water, where over time, the eggs turn into tadpoles, and the tadpoles turn into toadlets, which begin climbing the bank and into the wooded areas,” TPWD explained.

Of the 1 million released this spring, some 50,000 may survive according to statistics. Their life expectancy is around three years.

The Need for Human Assistance

“For many pond-breeding amphibians, only about 5% of eggs survive to metamorphosis. Those that survive and turn into tiny toadlets will concentrate within 15 feet of the ponds edge for about one to three weeks, eating small invertebrates and trying to avoid predators like red-imported fire ants, birds and snakes,” UFWS says.

The toad was first listed as an endangered species in 1970, but the last five decades has seen its steady decline. Along with the Florida manatee, Mojave desert tortoise and the Red Wolf, it is one of many species native to the United States facing threats to its survival.

Is it too late to save the species and recover lost habitats?

Creacy said that the toads’ survival will depend on human assistance.

“While our overall goal is maintaining resilient landscapes for all species, preventing the Houston toad’s extinction has required extraordinary effort for many years — and we’re not out of the woods yet,” he noted.