Tag: toads

Common Name: Holdridge’s Toad
Scientific Name: Incilius holdridgei
Family: Bufonidae – True Toad family
Locations: Costa Rica
Size: 1.25 – 2 inches (32 – 53 mm)

The Holdridge’s Toad lives in the secondary montane forest of Costa Rica. They are an explosive breeder following the rains in April. Interestingly, the toad lacks vocal slits, making it impossible for the frog to call. The toads breed in forest pools filled by the recent rains and man-made ditches. Females lay between 45 to 137 eggs. The tadpoles take around a month to complete their metamorphosis.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Holdridge’s Toad as Critically Endangered. The toad was thought be extinct until it was spotted in 2009. The habitat of the toad has not been that distrubed, leading reasearchers to believe that Chytrid Fungus, a deadly fungal disease, wiped out most of their population. There is thought to be less than 50 total mature toads left. Luckily, the toads habitat falls into a protected area but researchers haven’t been able to captive bred the toad.

Common Name: Spotted Poison Frog and Brazilian Poison Frog
Scientific Name: Ranitomeya vanzolinii
Family: Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frog family
Locations: Brazil and Peru
Size: 0.65 – 0.74 inches (16.7 – 19 mm)

The Spotted Poison Frog is an arboreal poison dart frog, primarily living at least 6 feet (2 meters) off the ground. Juvenile frogs on the species can be found in the leaf litter.

The frogs mate in tree holes that are partially filled with water. If more than one egg is laid, male waits for the eggs to hatch and then carries each tadpole to its own tree cavity. Then, the male guides the female to each cavity where she lays unfertilized eggs for the tadpole to each.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Spotted Poison Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. The frog has a wide range and a presumed large population.

The species is named after Paulo Vanzolini, a Brazilian herpetologist and music composer, specially sambas.

Common Name: Mazatlan Narrow Mouthed Toad or Sinaloan Narrow-mouthed Toad
Scientific Name: Gastrophryne mazatlanensis
Family: Microhylidae
Locations: Mexico and the United States – Arizona
Size: 1.6 inches (4 cm)

The Mazatlan Narrow Mouthed Toad was originally thought to be its own species before researchers merged it into the Great Plains Narrowed Mouth Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea). It sat as a subspecies for over 50 years before researchers decided to elevated back to its own species. Not much is known to be different in its life history than the Great Plains Narrowed Mouth Toad and it seems no one has really tried to study it. They spend most of their life underground which also doesn’t help with knowing what they are doing. However, the toads come to the surface to breed. They breed following the heavy spring and summer rains.

The International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has not assessed the conservation status of the toad.

Common Name: Large-webbed Bell Toad and Yunnan Firebelly Toad
Scientific Name: Bombina maxima
Family: Bombinatoridae – Fire bellied Toad family
Locations: China
Size: 1.7 – 2 inches (44 – 51 mm)

The Large-webbed Bell Toad lives high in the mountains near swamps, ponds, and ditches. Like other fire bellied toads, they have a bright colored belly that shows off that they are toxic. When threatened, the toad arches its back to show off their stomach to warn off the predator. Also, they can secrete a white mucus to deter the predator from eating them. The toad breeds from May to June.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list assessed the Large-webbed Bell Toad as Least Concern with Extinction. The toad has a large range and are thought to be numerous throughout it.

Common Name: Long-snouted Tree Frog, Sharp-snout Saddled Tree Frog, and Southern Whipping Frog
Scientific Name: Taruga longinasus
Family: Rhacophoridae – Asian Tree Frog family
Locations: Sri Lanka
Male Size: 1.6 – 1.8 inches (41-47 mm)
Female Size: 2.2 – 2.3 inches (57-60 mm)

The Long-Snouted Tree Frog lives in the tropical mountainous forests of southwestern Sri Lanka. The frog spends most of its life high up in the trees. They come down lower in the tree during mating season. The mating season coincides with the rainy season. The frogs make a foam nest on a branch overhanging a pool of water. The nest helps keeps the eggs from drying out. Eventually, the eggs hatch and tadpoles fall out of the tree and into the water below.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the Long-snouted Tree Frog as Endangered. The frogs live in a small area on the island. This area is threatened by increasing urban development, agricultural development, and harvesting wood in the area.

Common Name: Iberian Midwife Toad
Scientific Name: Alytes cisternasii
Family: Alytidae – Midwife Toad and Painted Frog family
Locations: Portugal and Spain
Size: Males – 1.4 inches (36 mm) | Females 1.7 inches (42 mm)

The Iberian Midwife Toad lives in the drier scrub-like environment of eastern Portugal and western Spain. The toad is rather fossorial, burrowing down into this loose dry soil.

Mating season lasts from September to March, peaking around October and November. The males call out every night on land to attract the females. Once the female arrives, the male grabs her from behind in the amplexus position. Next, she lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. Now comes the interesting part. The male wraps the egg mass around his legs. He can then go out and mate with more females, capable of carrying up to 4 clutches at a time.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assess the Iberian Midwife Toad as Least Concern for Extinction. The species has a wide range and are thought to be numerous throughout it. In some areas, the toads are disappearing due to destruction of their habitat.