Common Name: Iranian Toad, Pakistan Toad, Luristan Toad, Iranian Earless Toad
Scientific Name: Bufotes surdus
Family: Bufonidae – True Toad family
Location: Iran, Pakistan, possibly Iraq
Size: 1.6 – 2.4 inches (4 – 6 cm)
Like most toads, the Iranian Toad is nocturnal, spending its days hiding under logs, rocks, or in holes. They are restricted to oasis and irrigated areas due to the heat and dryness of the region. There are two subspecies of the Iranian Toad, the Annulated Persian Melodious Toad or Ring-spotted Earless Toad (Bufotes surda annulata) and the Earless Persian Melodious Toad (Bufotes surdus surdus).
The toads breed during the monsoons. The monsoons fill up temporary pools that the male toads gather to call from them. Once the female toad arrives, the male toad grasps her from behind in amplexus. The female toad lays between 338 and 2019 eggs. Neither parent provides any parental care for their offspring.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Iranian Toad as Least Concern for Extinction. The toad has a large range and are common throughout it. Climate change could pose a risk to the toads due to the increase rate of droughts caused by it.