The Houston toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis), formerly Bufo houstonensis, is an endangered species of amphibian that is endemic to Texas in the United States. This toad was discovered in the late 1940s and named in 1953. It was the first amphibian added to the United States Endangered Species Act and was labeled under endangered. The Houston toad was placed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species from 1986 to 2022, and regarded as critically endangered since then. Official estimates are that just 3,000–4,000 adult Houston Toads are left in the world. Their kind is threatened every day as they continue to suffer from a loss of habitat, extreme drought, and massive wildfires. Their typical life expectancy is at least 3 years but it may exceed this number. Description The female Houston toad can grow to be 52-88mm(snout to vent) when mature and are typically larger and bulkier than males. Males toads are commonly 45-70mm long. Although generally brown and speckled, their color can range from black to purplish gray, sometimes with green patches. Their underbelly can be mottled and cream colored and each frog must have at least one brown spot on their pectoral region. Tadpoles are distinguished by their heavily pigmented top 75% of their bodies. The toads typically live 2–3 years and create burrows for protection from the cold in the winter and the hot, dry conditions of the summer. These toads are nocturnal and feed on insects and small invertebrates. During the winter the toads dig themselves into loose soil and go through a period of hibernation. Toadlets are typically all black and completely develop and go through metamorphosis over the course of 60 days. They are more likely to fall victim to predation by animals and birds and desiccation from the hot dry Texas environment. These tiny toads find themselves seeing shelter under logs, leaves and a various amount of cover objects in the woods to gain protection because they are unable to burrow like adult toads. They move by making short hops. Since they cannot usually outrun their predators such as snakes, turtles, large birds, raccoons, and other frogs, the toads have developed coloration and rough skin to camouflage themselves. Their skin also secretes chemicals through the parotid glands that are distasteful, and sometimes poisonous, to predators. In addition to protecting the Houston Toad from being eaten, some of these chemicals have proven