Anaxyrus quercicus
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie, from original photograph by Gary M. Stolz, USFWS (original photograph in public domain). · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The oak toad (Anaxyrus quercicus) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae that is endemic to the coastal regions of southeastern United States. It is regarded as the smallest species of toad in North America, with a length of 19 to 33 mm (0.75 to 1.30 in).
The oak toad may be identified by its light mid-dorsal stripe, variable brown and black spots, and proportionally large parotoid glands. The female has a dark-spotted belly and the male has a clear white belly with a slightly distended, loose flap of skin beneath the mouth that expands into a vocal sac. As noted above, one of the most remarkable features of this species is its small adult size relative to other toads.
The oak toad is native to the coastal regions of the southeastern United States, ranging from eastern Louisiana to southeast Virginia and south throughout Florida. It is found in a variety of habitats, including sandy pine flatwoods and oak scrub, open pine and pine-oak woods, pine or oak savanna with sandy soils, and maritime forests. Oak toads prefer open-canopied pine flatwoods with grassy ground cover. They are generally found in moist, grassy areas near pine... Wikipedia →
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oak Toad sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 10th most-seen of the 12 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Oak Toad in Miami on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Oak Toad sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Miami, in our data
Miami is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Oak Toad sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Oak Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Miami (11 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.
