A rare Woodhouse’s toad has returned to the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas for the first time in nearly 65 years, giving conservationists fresh hope that wildlife is returning to a restored habitat where the species once lived naturally.The male toad was captured on a trail camera in the preserve’s Cienega, a recreated desert wetland, while making a mating call. Officials said it is the first recorded sighting of a Woodhouse’s toad at the site since around 1962, when the original springs dried up and the species disappeared from the area.The unexpected discovery has become an important milestone for the Springs Preserve, which has spent years restoring habitats and bringing native species back to the land. While only one toad has been seen so far, conservationists say its appearance shows that the restored wetland is supporting wildlife once again.
A surprise visitor
The Springs Preserve announced the discovery on social media, describing it as “a big moment in local wildlife history.” “A Woodhouse’s toad has hopped its way back to the Springs Preserve; no small feat for tiny feet!” the preserve wrote in a Facebook post.Officials said the trail camera captured “this adult male calling in the Cienega, possibly an early colonist, though no females have answered yet.” The male appeared to be searching for a mate, but no female Woodhouse’s toads have been detected so far.According to the preserve, Woodhouse’s toads once lived around the natural springs that supported wildlife and early settlers in Las Vegas. This changed when the springs dried up around 1962.After the wetlands disappeared, the species was displaced or hybridised with Arizona toads elsewhere in the Las Vegas Valley. “They have displaced or hybridised with Arizona Toads in the Las Vegas Valley, completely replacing that species since about 1976,” the preserve explained.Because of these changes, there had been no recorded Woodhouse’s toads at the preserve for decades. “There have been no records of any toads at the preserve since the original springs ran dry sometime around 1962, so this is the first recorded sighting here in nearly 65 years,” the preserve said.
Years of restoration
The toad’s return comes as the Springs Preserve continues a larger effort to restore wetlands along the historic Las Vegas Creek Channel. The preserve has recreated wetland habitats designed to resemble the area’s original landscape and has been working to bring native wildlife back.Katrina Smith, senior zoologist at the Springs Preserve, told Fox 5 staff discovered the animal through a wildlife camera. “We had a lone male Woodhouse’s Toad show up on property,” Smith said. “This toad has not been seen on our property in probably 60 years. We have no records of it,” he added.She said the restored habitat is beginning to attract wildlife naturally, even beyond the species that conservationists have introduced.The Woodhouse’s toad is not the only species involved in the preserve’s conservation work. Staff have created two ponds in an area known as Cottonwood Grove as part of a rewilding programme centred on the relic leopard frog, a state-protected species.Smith said the effort is linked to the history of the Las Vegas Valley. The Vegas Valley leopard frog, once native to the area, became extinct after local water sources disappeared. The relic leopard frog is now being used as a substitute for that lost species.The Cottonwood Grove wetlands are also home to the endangered Pahrump Poolfish. According to the preserve, more than 430 species of birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians have now been documented on the property through iNaturalist, a public wildlife recording platform.Smith said the recreated wetland system collects runoff water from the Ulta Channel, helping create a habitat that attracts animals on its own.
A lone toad, but encouraging sign
Despite the excitement, the Woodhouse’s toad has not been seen again since it first appeared on the trail camera. Smith said the nocturnal animal may have moved to another water source or simply avoided the cameras after its first appearance. Because the species is active mainly at night, visitors are unlikely to spot it during the day.The Springs Preserve has three miles of walking trails, including paths through the Cottonwood Grove wetlands, where visitors can observe other native wildlife. Staff have also encouraged people to photograph wildlife and upload their sightings to iNaturalist to help monitor species living in the restored habitat.The preserve has also invited the public to help name the lone visitor. Suggestions from social media users include Frodo the Toado, Slippy, Toady, Uno and Mack.Several residents said they have seen Woodhouse’s toads elsewhere in the Las Vegas area. One Facebook user wrote, “I’ve had them emerge and hop through my yard to get to the pond every spring.” Another said there were “100s in the pond at the golf course I live on” and described hearing their croaking each summer.
