Yosemite Toad

Anaxyrus canorus

A Sierra Nevada mountain toad that walks instead of hopping, with males and females that look very different.

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About the Yosemite Toad

Yosemite toads live in high mountain forests, meadows and wetlands of the Sierra Nevada, from Alpine to Fresno County. They are 2 to 3 inches long with bumpy skin. Males are plain olive or yellowish green, and females are paler with dark spots. They can walk up to a mile from their burrow to a breeding pond. Adults eat ants, flies, beetles and spiders.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Anaxyrus canorus^[1]
Size: 2 to 3 inches long. Females are usually larger.^[1]
Lifespan: Up to 15 years for females, 12 for males.^[1]
Diet: Tadpoles eat algae and plants; adults eat ants, flies, beetles and spiders.^[1]
Habitat: High-altitude forests, meadows and wetlands.^[1]
Where it lives: The Sierra Nevada of California, from Alpine to Fresno County.^[1]
Babies: 1,000 to 2,000 eggs in a snowmelt pool.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021).^[2]

Fun facts

Yosemite toads walk instead of hop.^[1]
Their scientific name means "tuneful" for their song.^[1]
Males and females look so different they could be two species.^[1]

Vocabulary

sexually dimorphic: Having males and females that look different.
vernal pool: A shallow pool that fills with water in spring and dries up later in the year.
chytrid: A fungus that infects the skin of amphibians and can kill them.
tadpole: A young frog or toad that lives in water and breathes with gills.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · AmphibiansSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Yosemite Toad.” https://www.sfzoo.org/yosemite-toad/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Anaxyrus canorus (Yosemite Toad).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3180/118972917 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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