Western Narrow-mouthed Toad

Western Narrow-mouthed Toad

Gastrophryne olivacea

Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Cumbres de Monterrey National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

7 Verified sightings at Cumbres de Monterrey National Park From 2019 to 2026
7 In 1 park
June Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad

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 →

Sounds

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

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 10 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.

When is the best time to see a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?

June

In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Cumbres de Monterrey National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 20 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad?

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.

Where else can you see a Western Narrow-mouthed Toad?

Only Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, in our data

Cumbres de Monterrey National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Which relatives of the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad live in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?

Same order: Anura

The closest relatives of the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad that you can see in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (order Anura, Frogs and Toads) are Small-eard Hyla (about 30%), Gulf Coast Toad (about 20%) and Rio Grande Leopard Frog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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