Gastrophryne olivacea
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Gastrophryne olivacea, the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad or western narrow-mouthed toad, is a species of microhylid frog found throughout much of the south-central United States from Nebraska south through Texas, and into northern Mexico. Though not a true toad, evidenced by the smooth, moist skin, its common name is due to its terrestrial habit.
Great Plains narrow-mouthed toads are a small (19-42 mm snout to vent), fossorial, flat-bodied species, with a sharply pointed snout. They are typically olive green to grey-brown in color, sometimes with black blotching. Their undersides are lighter colored. Their skin secretions can cause severe, burning pain if they get into the eyes.
This toad is found in a wide range of habitats, but most frequently on moist ground or in leaf litter, and under rocks or fallen logs. They breed throughout the spring and summer in pools of water left by rainfall. They have been found to hybridize with Gastrophyrne carolinensis. Their primary diet is ants.
Western narrow-mouthed toads have a mutualistic relationship with tarantulas. They will live together, and in exchange will eat ants that attempt to invade... Wikipedia →
Advertisement call0:42
United States · 2010
© Chris Harrison · XC890251 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:29
United States · 2024
© Mike Cook · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:06
United States · 2025
© Chris Bentley · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 9th most-seen of the 13 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad in Austin on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–March, the lowest months.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sightings, Austin has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come San Antonio (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Austin (46 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
