American Toad vs Cotton Thistle

Anaxyrus americanus compared with Onopordum acanthium

Key Differences

• American Toad is Least Concern while Cotton Thistle is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American Toad	Cotton Thistle
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Bufonidae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Anaxyrus	Onopordum
Species	Anaxyrus americanus	Onopordum acanthium

Conservation Status

American Toad

LC — Least Concern

Cotton Thistle

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American Toad	Cotton Thistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Toad

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in United States.

Cotton Thistle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 10 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Georgia, India, Japan), Europe (22 countries), North America (Canada, United States), Oceania and the Pacific (Australia, New Zealand), and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

American Toad

The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is a species in the genus Anaxyrus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇺🇸 United States