Plate 048 · sunning beside a pool with egg strings IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Dark-tipped warts like spines, many reddish.
- 2Small parotoid, much smaller than in the Argentine Toad.
- 3Dark blotches on a brown or greyish ground.
- 4Golden iris with a horizontal pupil.
- 5Egg strings black, in shallow pools.
Easily confused with Argentine ToadRhinella arenarumLarger and smoother, with big parotoids; active at night. 048 / 100 · AMPHIBIANS · BUFONIDAELEAST CONCERN Warty Toad
Rhinella spinulosa
Sapo espinoso · Andean Toad
This is the toad of the high valleys and upland grasslands above the cloud forest. Unlike most toads, it is active by day and warms up on sunny rocks. In Tucumán it is found mainly in the Tafí valley.
- Altitude
- c. 2,000 – 4,000 m in Tucumán
- Total range
- up to 5,100 m in the Andes
- Breeding
- pools and slow streams
- Activity
- by day, basks
- High mountains
- Sun basker
- Spiny warts
- Upland grassland
Altitude rangeAbove the forest
Tucumán (approx.) In Tucumán it lives in the Tafí valley and the surrounding grasslands. Elsewhere in the Andes it reaches above 5,000 m. The limits for the province are approximate.
FoodGrassland insects
- Antsplentiful among rocks
- Beetlesand other ground insects
- Spidersground-dwelling
- Larvaecaterpillars and grubs
The tadpoles scrape algae in shallow pools that the sun warms during the day.
BehaviourA toad that seeks the sun
- Active by day. High up the nights are cold, so it hunts and warms itself in sunlight.
- Egg strings. It lays eggs in jelly strings in pools, lakes and slow streams.
- Shelters under stones. It spends the night and cold days under stones or in ground holes.
Where to look in Tucumán- Tafí del Valle (RP 307)
- Abra del Infiernillo (RP 307)