Spectators at the 2026 Super Bowl saw a certain amphibian during Bad Bunny’s halftime show performance. Before transitioning into the song “Monaco,” the camera briefly captures Concho, a toad on the stadium's Jumbotron.
Concho has appeared frequently in Bad Bunny’s recent work, including the DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS short film. Concho represents the sapo concho, or Puerto Rican crested toad, the only native toad species found in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Unfortunately, sapo concho is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, but Bad Bunny is bringing the species into the international spotlight, and hopefully, this awareness can help this tiny yet magnificent species.
“This toad has lived on the island for millions of years — before the dinosaurs and humans. Sapo concho is an amazing creature that deserves our protection and respect. He is the perfect symbol of resilience for Puerto Rico," Diane Barber, the Fort Worth Zoo’s senior curator of ectotherms and manager of the PRCTC, told Discover. "Just look at those amazing eyes!”
Read More: Three Newly Discovered Toads Give Birth to Live Young in a Bizarre Evolutionary Twist
What We Know About Sapo Concho
Sapo conchos are medium-sized toads, ranging in size from about 2.5 inches to 4.5 inches, according to the USFWS. They have a bumpy snout and rigid crests that form from their nose to the back of their head, creating an arch over their large eyes. They have a distinctive brown color pattern, making them easy to identify.
Explore All OptionsThe toads, as usually most active in the evening, from about 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., and can sometimes take shelter in small holes and crevices during the day. They prefer to live in drier areas, like rocky outcrops and well-drained soil; however, in more forested areas, the toads live in dead logs, and some have even been seen living in abandoned tarantula nests, according to the USFWS.
Science first identified the species in 1868, according to the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy, and just over 100 years later, in 1987, the USFWS listed it as threatened, leading to its IUCN listing as endangered. (Multiple sources list the toad as critically endangered, but the IUCN site lists it as endangered, though this has not been updated since 2021.)
Why Is the Sapo Concho Endangered?
The sapo concho is a delicate species, and due to human interference, it has experienced a major population decline. One cause for the decline is the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina). The cane toad, introduced to the island during the early to mid 20th century, was initially supposed to help reduce agricultural pests in sugar cane fields, according to the USGS. This toxic toad quickly took over most breeding grounds and key resources.
Another issue that endangers the sapo concho is habitat loss from construction, especially in coastal areas where the species primarily lives.
“Initially it was habitat alteration for agriculture, especially in the northern part of the island, where the toads were reduced to breed in small concrete cattle troughs," Barber said to Discover. “Once the troughs were removed for urban development, the toads didn’t have a place to breed and are now gone from the north.”
Climate change also impacts the toads, since they can be particular about breeding, according to a study published in the Caribbean J. of Science. They typically breed in rainfall-created pools, but can delay breeding if there is drought or shifts in rainfall.
“The last remaining wild population is under severe threat from increased sea level, tidal surges, and increased saline which prevents egg and tadpole development,” Barber told Discover.
Who Is Helping Sapo Concho?
Although these toads are endangered, several organizations have been working to help bring this species back from the brink.
Sapo concho.
(Image Courtesy of Fort Worth Zoo)
The Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, for example, has helped in the conservation of the sapo concho since 1984. In 1989, the zoo implemented a breeding program to help reestablish the population. The zoo works alongside the USFWS and the Puerto Rican Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER) to implement conservation measures, including establishing protected habitat areas, developing pond construction guidelines, and raising awareness about the differences between the introduced marine toad and the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad.
Between the breeding and reintroduction efforts, the work these organizations have done — which falls under the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy — is the longest continuous reintroduction of an amphibian in the world. Through the conservancy, there are 17 breeding facilities that help maintain adult sapo conchos whose offspring are eventually used for reintroduction.
According to the Fort Worth Zoo, the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy has released 830,000 sapo concho tadpoles, and their work only continues.
Thanks to Bad Bunny and his half-time performance, more people are aware of sapo concho today than they were yesterday. With a spotlight like that and the dedication of conservationists, this species could have a real chance at rebounding.
This article has been updated to include a clarification on conservation measures by the Discover staff on 2/10/26.
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Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
- This article references information from U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office March 2019
- This article references information from the IUCN Red List: Puerto Rican Crested Toad
- This article references information from a study published in the Caribbean J. of Science: Predicting Habitat Suitability for the Endangered Puerto Rican Crested Toad (Peltophryne lemur Cope, 1869): A Comparative Modelling Approach Integrating Ecological and Spatial Forecast
- This article references information from the USGS: Nonindigenous Aquatic Species
- This article references information from the Fort Worth Zoo: Fort Worth Zoo is Saving Bad Bunny’s ‘Sapo Concho’
- This article references information from the Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy
