The juvenile toad looks similar to the adult, but has more prominent ventral spotting and the undersides of its feet are yellow.

The male red-spotted toad has a dusky throat and develops nuptial pads during the breeding season.

[4] This toad is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, especially Baja California.

Eggs hatch in three days and the tadpole can transform in 6–8 weeks, taking advantage of the ephemeral water bodies.

It spends dry periods in burrows or beneath rocks or moist plant matter, and becomes suddenly active during rainfall when multitudes of individuals emerge.