Yosemite Toads (Anaxyrus canorus), first discovered in Yosemite National Park, can only be found in the Sierra Nevada from Alpine County, California to Fresno County, California. They were listed as threatened in 2014, with the species estimated to occur at only 50 percent of historically occupied sites throughout their range.
The toads live in high elevations between 6,500 and 11,000 feet, using small pools for breeding while spending most of their lives in underground burrows to keep cool and avoid predators. They’re stocky, have bumpy skin, and typically somewhere between yellowish green and olive green. They walk rather than hoping and are easily one of the most unique animals found in Yosemite National Park.
Sadly Yosemite Toad continue to decline despite them being listed as threatened. Habitat degradation and loss, especially meadow degradation (caused by grazing, timber and fuels management) and recreation and water development, are causing the decline in addition to disease, climate change, and direct mortality from road crossings and trampling from livestock.
