Golden toad
Incilius periglenes (Savage, 1967)
EXExtinctfrogs and toadsExtinct
The golden toad (Incilius periglenes) is an amphibian in the frogs and toads subgroup, belonging to the family Bufonidae and the genus Incilius. It is listed as Extinct (EX) on the IUCN Red List in a global assessment, and Catalogue of Life also lists it as extinct.
Quick facts about the golden toad
The golden toad reached a body length of up to 5.6 cm and was a terrestrial, diurnal species. It laid eggs, 400 per clutch, and its development included a larval stage.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- up to 5.6 cmsrc for Length
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- forestsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- 400src for Young per litter or clutch
- Reproduction
- Eggssrc for Reproduction
- Active
- By day (diurnal)src for Active
- Conservation status
- Extinct (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the golden toad
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the golden toad live?
Not recorded
What is the golden toad?
The golden toad (Incilius periglenes) was an extinct species of true toad that was once abundant in a small, high-altitude region of about 4 square kilometres (1.5 mi2) in an area north of the city of Monteverde, Costa Rica. It was endemic to elfin cloud forest. Also called the Monte Verde toad, Alajuela toad and orange toad, it is commonly considered the "poster child" for the amphibian decline crisis. This toad was first described in 1966 by herpetologist Jay Savage. The last sighting of a single male golden toad was on 15 May 1989, and it has since been classified as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The golden toad was declared extinct by the IUCN Red List in 2004.
From the Wikipedia article “Golden toad” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_toad&oldid=1384525303), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the golden toad endangered?
The golden toad is listed as Extinct on the IUCN Red List: it no living individuals remain.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Extinct species.
How is the golden toad classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- familyBufonidae
- genusIncilius
- SpeciesIncilius periglenes (Savage, 1967)
Synonyms Bufo periglenes, Cranopsis periglenes, Ollotis periglenes
Other names and names in other languages (23)
- Alajuela toadEnglish
- Alajuela toadEnglish
- Monte Verde golden toadEnglish
- Monte Verde golden toadEnglish
- Monte Verde toadEnglish
- Monte Verde toadEnglish
- Monteverde toadEnglish
- Orange toadEnglish
- Orange toadEnglish
- Sapo doradoEnglish
- ropucha zlatáCzech
- GoldkröteGerman
- Sapo Dorado de Monte VerdeSpanish
- Crapaud doréFrench
- Crapaud de MonteverdeFrench
- Rospo doratoItalian
- オレンジヒキガエルJapanese
- Rode padDutch
- Gouden padDutch
- Sapo-douradoPortuguese
- Оранжевая жабаRussian
- zlata krastačaSlovenian
- Altın kurbağaTurkish
Relatives of the golden toad
Other species in the same genus Incilius.
Colorado river toad
Incilius alvarius
Gulf coast toad
Incilius valliceps
Holdridge's toad
Incilius holdridgei
Leopard-bellied scrub toad
Incilius signifer
Rainforest toad
Incilius aucoinae
Campbell's forest toad
Incilius campbelli
CompareGolden toad vs Colorado river toadGolden toad vs Gulf coast toadGolden toad vs Holdridge's toadGolden toad vs Leopard-bellied scrub toad
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
Is the golden toad extinct?
Yes. The golden toad is listed as Extinct (EX) on the IUCN Red List in a global assessment, and Catalogue of Life lists it as extinct.
How big was the golden toad?
The golden toad reached a body length of up to 5.6 cm.
What kind of animal is the golden toad?
The golden toad is an amphibian in the frogs and toads subgroup, classified in the order Anura and the family Bufonidae.
How many eggs did the golden toad lay?
The golden toad laid 400 eggs per clutch, and its development included a larval stage.
What is the scientific name of the golden toad?
The scientific name of the golden toad is Incilius periglenes, placing it in the genus Incilius.
Who named the golden toad?
The golden toad's scientific name authority is (Savage, 1967).
Was the golden toad active by day or by night?
The golden toad was diurnal, meaning active by day, and lived a terrestrial life.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits · CC BY 4.0 · v1
Oliveira, B.F., São-Pedro, V.A., Santos-Barrera, G., Penone, C. & Costa, G.C. (2017) AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits. Scientific Data 4: 170123. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.123. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4644424.v5 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Golden toad (Incilius periglenes). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-toad
“Golden toad (Incilius periglenes).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-toad.
@misc{golden_toad_2026,
title = {Golden toad (Incilius periglenes)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-toad},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}