#bufonidae

South American Crested Toad (Rhinella margaritifera), family Bufonidae, Peru

Photo credit: John Lyakurwa.

These toads look absolutely crazy. Like, look at the new species Nectophrynoides uhehe:

Photo credit: Michele Menegon

Or the closely related Nectophrynoides viviparus, which was described in 1905 but which we revised in this paper.

Photo credit: Michele Menegon

These are unlike most toads you might know. They live in trees and bushes of the rainforest, crawling and leaping about!

But neither ecology nor apperance are nearly the craziest part: These toads are live bearing! Females carry huge litters, sometimes >100 young, until they complete their development, and give birth to these tiny, fully formed toadlets.

CW: Preserved specimen of a pregnant toad below the cut.

Common toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus/mating position, in Germany

Modern toads (Bufonidae) are among the most successful amphibians on the planet, a diverse group of more than 600 species that are found on every continent except Antarctica. But just how did they conquer the world? An international team of researchers set out to find the answer and discovered the toads' global success was due to their toxic glands and geological timing. Modern toads are a type of frog with a stout, squat body, relatively short legs, toothless mouths and a thick, dry, warty skin. One of their most distinctive features is a large gland behind each eye that secretes a poison to deter predators. They originated in South America and are found in diverse habitats like deserts and rainforests.