About Anaxyrus exsul (Myers, 1942)
This species, Anaxyrus exsul, commonly called the black toad, has black skin covered in white and tan speckles, with a distinct white midline running down its spine from the head to the rump. Adult black toads reach approximately 5 centimetres, or 2.0 inches, in length. They are active during warmer months and spend the winter underground close to their native springs. Unlike many other toads, this species walks rather than hops, and never travels far from water. Male black toads do not have vocal sacs and do not produce a typical advertisement call. Instead, they make a small chirping noise that acts as a territorial call when around other males, a trait shared with its close relative the western toad, Anaxyrus boreas.
