Toad

Toad is a common name for certain members of the AMPHIBIAN order Anura, the FROGS. The distinction is not firm, but the word toad is generally applied to frogs with relatively short legs and thick bodies, dry, often "warty" skin and reduced webbing between the toes. Toads live in drier habitats than most other frogs. Most toads belong to the family Bufonidae, which occurs naturally on all continents except Antarctica, Greenland and Australia (but one species has been introduced and has spread widely since the mid-1930s in Australia, the West Indies and some Pacific Islands).

In Canada 4 or 5 species of genus Anaxyrus (formerly included in Bufo) are known: western toad (A. boreas), Great Plains toad (A. cognatus), Fowler's toad (A. fowleri), American toad (A. americanus) and Canadian toad (B. hemiophrys), regarded as a subspecies of A. americanus by some authorities.

Two so-called "spadefoot toads," belonging to the more primitive family Pelobatidae, are known in Canada. These are the Plains spadefoot (Spea bombifrons) occurring in Alberta and Saskatchewan and the Great Basin spadefoot (S. intermontanus) in British Columbia and in prairies habitats. Both Anaxyrus and Spea have "spades" on each hind foot, which allow them to burrow backwards rapidly in soft soils.

Author G.M. SANDERS Rev: F.R. COOK

Suggested Reading
Francis R. Cook, Introduction to Canadian Amphibians and Reptiles (1984); Darrel R. Frost et al, The Amphibian Tree of Life (2006).

Links to Other Sites
Canadian Biodiversity Website
A great information source for all budding biologists. Learn about biodiversity theory, natural history, and conservation issues. From McGill’s Redpath Museum.

Why survey Herptiles?
This Parks Canada website is devoted to the study of amphibian and reptilian species native to Canada.

Amphibian Specialist Group
The Amphibian Specialist Group focuses on conservation of amphibians and their habitats around the world. Hop over to the link for “Froglog,” a bi-monthly newsletter which offers current information about the decline of amphibian species. Part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

AmphibiaWeb
The AmphibiaWeb website provides access to information on amphibian biology and conservation. From the University of California.

Amphibian Species of the World
A detailed, highly technical information source about amphibian species of the world. From the American Museum of Natural History.