True toad

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True toads
Golden Toad, Bufo periglenes
Golden Toad, Bufo periglenes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Gray, 1825
Distribution of Bufonidae (in black)
Distribution of Bufonidae (in black)
Genera

See text.

Bufonidae is a family of frogs known as toads and are the only family of frogs exclusively known as toads. True toads comprise a number of genera, with Bufo being the most widespread and known. Only the genus Atelopus are commonly known as frogs.

True toads are widespread and occur natively on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, inhabiting a variety of environments, from arid areas to rainforest.

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 a 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. Bidder's organ are present in males.

[edit] Taxonomy

Bufonidae contains about 500 species spread over 35 genera.

Genus Latin Name and Author Common Name Spe-
cies
Adenomus Cope, 1861
3
Altiphrynoides Dubois, 1987 Ethiopian Toads
2
Amietophrynus Frost et. al., 2006
38
Andinophryne Hoogmoed, 1985 Andes Toads
3
Ansonia Stoliczka, 1870 Stream Toads
25
Atelopus Duméril & Bibron, 1841 Stubfoot Toads
82
Bufo Laurenti, 1768 Toads
150
Bufoides Pillai & Yazdani, 1973 Mawblang Toads
1
Capensibufo Grandison, 1980 Cape Toads
2
Churamiti Channing & Stanley, 2002
1
Crepidophryne Cope, 1889 Cerro Utyum Toads
3
Dendrophryniscus Jiménez de la Espada, 1871 Tree Toads
7
Didynamipus Andersson, 1903 Four-digit Toads
1
Duttaphrynus Frost et. al., 2006
6
Epidalea Cope, 1864 Natterjack Toads
1
Frostius Cannatella, 1986 Frosts Toads
2
Ingerophrynus Frost et. al., 2006
11
Laurentophryne Tihen, 1960 Parkers Tree Toads
1
Leptophryne Fitzinger, 1843 Indonesia Tree Toads
2
Melanophryniscus Gallardo, 1961 South American Redbelly Toads
20
Mertensophryne Tihen, 1960 Snouted Frogs
20
Metaphryniscus Señaris, Ayarzagüena & Gorzula, 1994
1
Nectophryne Buchholz & Peters, 1875 African Tree Toads
2
Nectophrynoides Noble, 1926 African Live-bearing Toads
13
Nimbaphrynoides Dubois, 1987 Nimba Toads
2
Oreophrynella Boulenger, 1895 Bush Toads
8
Osornophryne Ruiz-Carranza & Hernández-Camacho, 1976 Plump Toads
6
Parapelophryne Fei, Ye & Jiang, 2003
1
Pedostibes Günther, 1876 Asian Tree Toads
6
Pelophryne Barbour, 1938 Flathead Toads
9
Pseudobufo Tschudi, 1838 False Toads
1
Rhinella Fitzinger, 1826 Beaked Toads
72
Schismaderma Smith, 1849 African Split-skin Toads
1
Truebella Graybeal & Cannatella, 1995
2
Werneria Poche, 1903 Smalltongue Toads
6
Wolterstorffina Mertens, 1939 Wolterstorff Toads
3

[edit] References

  • Amphibian Species of the World 5.1 - Bufonidae. Retrieved on 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.
  • Cogger, H. G., and R. G. Zweifel, editors. 1998. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd edition. Academic Press, San Diego.

[edit] External links

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