A rarely seen toad species has made an unexpected comeback at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, marking its first documented appearance there since around 1962, refuge conservationists say.
The amphibian, identified as a male Woodhouse’s Toad, has been described by the preserve as a “possible early colonist” — and, judging by his behavior, he may be searching for a mate.
Trail camera footage captured the toad in the preserve’s Cienega area, where he was heard delivering a mating call.
“Our trail camera caught this lone adult male calling in the Cienega, possibly an early colonist… though no females have answered yet,” the Springs Preserve wrote in a Facebook post.
The preserve added that the return of its “forlorn frog friend” represents a notable moment for Las Vegas wildlife history.
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Woodhouse’s Toads had not been recorded at the site since the original springs — the natural oasis, or “Cienaga,” that helped sustain early Las Vegas settlers — dried up in 1962. After that, the species was believed to have been pushed out or to have hybridized with Arizona Toads in other parts of the Las Vegas Valley.
By around 1976, Arizona-Woodhouse’s hybrid toads had reportedly replaced the original Woodhouse’s Toad population entirely, making this latest sighting the first confirmed record of the species at the preserve in nearly 65 years.
The discovery also sparked local reaction online, with one Facebook user claiming that hundreds of Woodhouse’s Toads appear in her yard each spring.
“I’ve had them emerge and hop through my yard to get to the pond every spring,” she wrote.
“If they’re not hanging in the wetlands there’s something wrong with the ecology, lol. They’re thriving over here.”
