| True toads Fossil range: 57–0 Ma Late Paleocene – Recent[1] |
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| Common Toad, Bufo bufo | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Bufonidae Gray, 1825 |
| Genera | |
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| Distribution of Bufonidae (in black) | |
Bufonidae is the family of the true toads, members of the order Anura (frogs and toads). They are the only family of anurans all members of which are known as "toads." The bufonids now comprise more than 35 genera, Bufo being the most widespread and well known.
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Characteristics
True toads are widespread and occur natively on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, inhabiting a variety of environments, from arid areas to rainforest. Most lay eggs in paired strings that hatch into tadpoles, although, in the genus Nectophrynoides the eggs hatch directly into miniature toads.[1]
True toads are toothless and generally warty in appearance and have a pair of parotoid glands on the back of their heads. These glands contain an alkaloid poison which the toads excrete when stressed. The poison in the glands contains a number of toxins causing different effects. Bufotoxin is a general term, different animals contain significantly different substances and proportions of substances. Some, like the cane toad Bufo marinus, are more toxic than others. Some "psychoactive toads," such as the Colorado River Toad Bufo alvaris, have been used recreationally for the effects of the bufotoxin. Male toads possess a Bidder's organ. Under the right conditions, the organ becomes an active ovary and the toad, in effect, becomes female. (This is similar to the gender-changing frogs described in Jurassic Park, although the dinosaurs in that story hatched female and became male, a process which in nature does not occurr.)
Taxonomy
Bufonidae contains about 500 species among more than 35 genera.
| Genus Latin Name and Author | Common Name | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Adenomus Cope, 1861 |
3
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| Altiphrynoides Dubois, 1987 | Ethiopian Toads |
2
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| Amietophrynus Frost et al., 2006 |
38
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| Andinophryne Hoogmoed, 1985 | Andes Toads |
3
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| Ansonia Stoliczka, 1870 | Stream Toads |
25
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| Atelopus Duméril & Bibron, 1841 | Stubfoot Toads |
82
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| Bufo Laurenti, 1768 | Toads |
150
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| Bufoides Pillai & Yazdani, 1973 | Mawblang Toads |
1
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| Capensibufo Grandison, 1980 | Cape Toads |
2
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| Churamiti Channing & Stanley, 2002 |
1
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| Crepidophryne Cope, 1889 | Cerro Utyum Toads |
3
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| Dendrophryniscus Jiménez de la Espada, 1871 | Tree Toads |
7
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| Didynamipus Andersson, 1903 | Four-digit Toads |
1
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| Duttaphrynus Frost et al., 2006 |
6
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| Epidalea Cope, 1864 | Natterjack Toads |
1
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| Frostius Cannatella, 1986 | Frost's Toads |
2
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| Ingerophrynus Frost et al., 2006 |
11
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| Laurentophryne Tihen, 1960 | Parkers Tree Toads |
1
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| Leptophryne Fitzinger, 1843 | Indonesia Tree Toads |
2
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| Melanophryniscus Gallardo, 1961 | South American Redbelly Toads |
20
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| Mertensophryne Tihen, 1960 | Snouted Frogs |
20
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| Metaphryniscus Señaris, Ayarzagüena & Gorzula, 1994 |
1
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| Nectophryne Buchholz & Peters, 1875 | African Tree Toads |
2
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| Nectophrynoides Noble, 1926 | African Live-bearing Toads |
13
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| Nimbaphrynoides Dubois, 1987 | Nimba Toads |
2
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| Oreophrynella Boulenger, 1895 | Bush Toads |
8
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| Osornophryne Ruiz-Carranza & Hernández-Camacho, 1976 | Plump Toads |
6
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| Parapelophryne Fei, Ye & Jiang, 2003 |
1
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| Pedostibes Günther, 1876 | Asian Tree Toads |
6
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| Pelophryne Barbour, 1938 | Flathead Toads |
9
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| Pseudobufo Tschudi, 1838 | False Toads |
1
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| Rhinella Fitzinger, 1826 | Beaked Toads |
72
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| Schismaderma Smith, 1849 | African Split-skin Toads |
1
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| Truebella Graybeal & Cannatella, 1995 |
2
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| Werneria Poche, 1903 | Smalltongue Toads |
6
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| Wolterstorffina Mertens, 1939 | Wolterstorff Toads |
3
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References
- ^ a b Zweifel, Richard G. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 91–92. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
- "Amphibian Species of the World 5.1 - Bufonidae". http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/names.php?taxon=&family=Bufonidae&subfamily=&genus=&commname=&authority=&year=&geo=0&dist=&comment=. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- Stebbins, Robert. Western Reptiles & Amphibians (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin Co., 2003.
- Halliday, Tim R., and Kraig Adler (editors). The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians. Facts on File, New York, 2002.
External links
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Look up toad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Information related to True toad from Wikispecies.
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Wikimedia Commons has more pictures of: Bufonidae |
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