The Wyoming toad was common from the 1950s through the early 1970s, but its distribution was limited to the Laramie Basin in Albany County.
Nearly 46,000 offspring were produced at the Thorne Williams Unit from 1995 until 2006, when the remaining captive stock was moved to the Red Buttes Environmental Biology Laboratory south of Laramie, and then released back into the wild.
It also has sensitive skin that has low adaptability and is prone to permitting infection by chytrid fungus, a strong threat to the Wyoming toad.
[7] The Wyoming toad frequents floodplains and the short grass edges of ponds, creeks and lakes.
[citation needed] Habitat typical characteristics may be seen to vary along the Wyoming toad's age spectrum.
Though these habitat variations and substrate conditions varying accordingly, adults are located in areas with slightly cooler temperatures.
[8] The measures of the toad's substrate surface temperature and distance from shorelines tend to be most accurate indicators of possible sightings.
[11] The Wyoming toad, common until its sharp decrease in population in the 1970s, was officially listed as endangered in January 1984.
However, recent research shows that the toad has become less procreative, possibly as the result of a red leg bacteria that was discovered in 1990.
Other plans, including one coordinated with the mosquito control district, have helped to safeguard the existing habitat from potential side effects from chemicals and pesticides.
The Sybille Wildlife Research Unit has developed a captive-rearing program through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and 16 toads were in captivity as of June 1991.
Inside the aquarium is a cork sponge mat for basking, a water tray and a variety of foods such as mealworms, waxworms and crickets.
[14] Future conservation of the Wyoming toad in the wild is heavily dependent on eradicating chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), which is perhaps the greatest threat to the species' survival.
[1] Research at Porter Lake in 2010 reported that chytrid infection among Wyoming toads affected about 41% of the population.
Because of the sudden appearance of the disease, there is no standard protocol for treatment, but methods include submerging infected toads in itraconazole baths.
However, the lakes contain chytrid fungus, known for killing amphibians and a significant contributing factor in the high mortality of the Wyoming toad.
After the group discontinued, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stepped in to save the toad, running field studies, captive breeding plans and tests on the diseases may be causing mortality.
Through field notes, researchers Withers and Corn (2005) discovered that Wyoming toads tend to mature earlier than do other amphibians in their surrounding habitat.
The scientists discovered that the average Wyoming toad did not live past one or two years, and the fungus was identified as the causal factor.
[16] In 2023 the Wyoming toad was featured on a United States Postal Service forever stamp as part of the Endangered Species set, based on a photograph from Joel Sartore's Photo Ark.