Gastrophryne olivacea
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sighting in San Antonio on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 8 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.
May and July
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad in San Antonio on a given day, against under 5% in June and August–April, 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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sightings, San Antonio ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Austin (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Anura
The closest relatives of the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad that you can see in San Antonio (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Gulf Coast Toad (about 30%), Rio Grande Leopard Frog (about 10%) and American Bullfrog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in San Antonio (19 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.
