Bufo punctatus, the red-spotted toad, is easy to identify. Adults sport red spots covering their brownish backs. Found throughout the American Southwest and northern Mexico, these small toads live on a diet of insects. As opportunistic feeders, they'll consume any bug that crosses their path, but certain insects are common fare.
What They Eat
Ants, bees and beetles and various arthropods make up the red-spotted toad's primary diet. Arthropods include spiders and any insects with segmented bodies. While these toads generally dwell in arid, rocky areas, they breed in streams and stock ponds and puddles. Any insect in those vicinities is potential prey.
What Eats Them?
Both birds and mammals consider red-spotted toads as snacks. These include hawks, coyotes, owls, raccoons and foxes eating the adults, while salamander and other larvae in the breeding sites might devour the tadpoles.
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Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in "Horse News," "Suburban Classic," "Hoof Beats," "Equine Journal" and other publications. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University and an Associate of Arts from the American Academy of Dramatics Arts, New York City.
