Isolation and characterization of eight novel microsatellite loci in endangered Wyoming toad, Bufo baxteri

Wyoming toad (Bufo baxteri) is an endangered amphibian native to the Laramie Basin, Wyoming, USA. A captive breeding program propagates B. baxteri, and the monitoring of genetic diversity in captive stock can assist in guiding restoration and recovery efforts. We developed eight species-specific polymorphic loci from an enriched microsatellite library. For 281 samples, B. baxteri exhibited 2–11 alleles per locus, and observed and expected heterozygosities per locus ranged from 0.411 to 0.943 and from 0.400 to 0.691, respectively. Four loci deviated significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The eight microsatellite markers may be useful for conservation, population, and quantitative genetics for B. baxteri and closely related species.