Posted by taren yoppini on October 3, 2008

Q: I know very little about frogs and found this in my pool. I do not know what to do with it, nor do i know if it is poisonous. What type of frog is this?

State: California

Habitat: suburban/yard

A: Wow, this has thrown me off. I'm not at all familair with this animal and am not entirely sure it is even a native of North America or an exotic. I couldn't make out from your photos whether this animal has parotoid glands or not but I believe it has, making it a toad.

The closest I can come to making an identification is that is MAY be a Green Toad (Bufo debilis). Check out this web site and you can see some photos and info on this species: www.zo.utexas.edu

Of course, the Green Toad is not found in California so If it is indeed the Green Toad, someone must have brought it there from the Texas/New Mexico area. It may be someone's pet toad.

I'll talk with one of our amphibian experts soon and if I learn anything different about your animal, I'll get back to you. Thanks for writing.

John Wiessinger ( October 5, 2008)

A: This looks like an escaped Fire Belly Toad (Bombina orientalis) to me — the dorsal markings look the same. The Fire Belly Toad typically has a bright red underbelly, and is commonly sold at pet stores.

Google 'Fire Belly Toad' for images and see what you think.

Solon Morse ( October 6, 2008)