Houston Toad Recovery Program Efforts Renewed at Bastrop State Park

Houston Toad Recovery Program Efforts Renewed at Bastrop State Park

May 7, 2026

Media Contact: TPWD News, Business Hours, 512-389-8030

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AUSTIN - The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) successfully released more than one million Houston toad eggs at Bastrop State Park in conjunction with the Houston Zoo, Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) this spring.

This is the first year of a renewed effort to restore Houston toads back to Bastrop State Park to help recover this endangered species. It's been a decade since Bastrop State Park had a resident population of Houston toads. The toad disappeared in the park in the five years following the catastrophic 2011 Bastrop County Complex Wildfire.

But over a decade of restoration in the park by TPWD has resulted in the recovery of the toad's habitat to the point where conservation partners feel confident a reintroduction will be successful.

The recovery effort reached a milestone this year, with more than one million eggs released into Bastrop State Park. Reintroduction attempts occurred in 2015 and 2019 but were ultimately unsuccessful.

"We got close in 2019," said Paul Crump, TPWD herpetologist, "but this is the most eggs released in a single year to date in the state park."

"This year, the overall program pivoted to releasing eggs in three sites - two in Bastrop County and one in Milam County," said Matt Lammers, Houston Zoo's Houston Toad Recovery Coordinator. "Each of these sites is managed a little bit differently. Going forward, we can measure the varying success of these populations to determine what environmental factors are helping them along. Then we can try to replicate the most important of these factors in our other sites and across the state."

How the Project Works

During the fall, adult toads are checked out by the veterinary team at the Houston Zoo. The toads are paired up strategically for 11 weeks. Once the eggs are ready, they are collected and sorted into bags for transport to the release sites. Each week around 200,000 eggs are transported to the release site. At the release site - a shallow pond where wild breeding typically occurs - the bags are acclimated. From there, they are released into the water, where over time, the eggs turn into tadpoles, and the tadpoles turn into toadlets, which begin climbing the bank and into the wooded areas.

"It was really remarkable to see how quickly the toadlets (from earlier releases) developed and moved into the surrounding habitat," said Zach Truelock, Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) Private Lands Biologist. "During a light rain, we saw them dispersing away from the pond into the savannah."

"Partnership is a key element of the program," said Crump. "We have funding from USFWS and State Parks, support from Houston Zoo and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy for this reintroduction, and we are building off the reintroduction methods used by the team at Texas State University, the Boy Scouts of America, and many others who are part of the larger recovery program."

TPWD, ARC and the Houston Zoo work with a broader partnership network supporting Houston toad recovery that includes the USFWS, Texas State University, the Boy Scouts of America - Capitol Area Council, Pines and Prairies Land Trust, the Fort Worth Zoo, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, and a network of private landowners across the species' range.

About the Toad

The Houston toad was among the first amphibians to be listed as a federally endangered species, named on Oct. 13, 1970, under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969, which was later replaced by the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The toad was initially listed due to landscape fragmentation and urban development within its forested habitat, but feral hogs, red-imported fire ants and drought conditions in Texas have furthered the decline in populations.

"Houston toads and amphibians in general serve as an indicator species," said Lammers. "They let us know when habitats are starting to hit an ecological tipping point. The Houston toad is endangered in large part due to poor habitat management. Almost every contemporary conservation question is ultimately a land management question. A well-managed parcel of land that is regularly burned and treated is supportive of deer, turkey, migratory birds, and yes, even the Houston toad."

The prime natural habitat for this toad resides in the grasslands and forests of loblolly pine and post oak, along with sandy soils it depends on for migrating, hibernating and feeding. Critical Habitat, specific areas that are essential to the toad's conservation, was established for the toads as the counties of Bastrop and Burleson on Jan. 31, 1978.

"Bastrop State Park is in the established critical habitat areas for the toad and offers prime conditions that are ideal for the ongoing Houston Toad Recovery Program and population growth within the park," said Crump. "It's been about 10 years since we had a resident toad population within the park. Our state parks team has done an excellent job with habitat management to improve the property for all wildlife. Because of reduction in habitat quality being one of the top threats to toad populations, the reintroduction would be doomed to failure had the management in the park not been undertaken."

Helping the Habitat

"We believe the toad won't survive without active habitat management and restoration," said Greg Creacy, Natural Resources Program Director for Texas State Parks. "But the same is true for many other species that depend on healthy, resilient landscapes. Our stewardship preserves the public's natural heritage, supports quality recreation, ensures functional ecosystems, and reduces wildfire risk. While our overall goal is maintaining resilient landscapes for all species, preventing the Houston toad's extinction has required extraordinary effort for many years - and we're not out of the woods yet."

TPWD is committed to an ongoing effort to engage and work with private landowners to restore habitat and recover populations of not just these endangered toads, but also native plants and other animals. If you live in the toad's native range, which include parts of Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lee, Leon, Lavaca, Robertson, and Milam counties, you can reach out to TPWD to help be a part of the recovery effort on your own land.

For more information visit the TPWD Houston Toad webpage.