Toad
| Toad | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | Anura |
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura (frogs) that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and snout-like parotoid glands.[citation needed]
Biology
A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientific taxonomy, but is common in popular culture (folk taxonomy), in which toads are associated with drier skin and more terrestrial habitats than animals commonly called frogs.[1] In scientific taxonomy, toads are found in the families Bufonidae, Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and Microhylidae.[2] A group of toads is called a knot.[3]
The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal to blend more effectively into its environment visually by breaking up its outline.[citation needed] Although the parotoid glands are sometimes referred to as "warts", they are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.[4]
See also
References
- ^ "Toad". Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ^ "Anura, Taxonomic Serial No.: 173423". ITIS Report. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ Fellows, Dave (29 September 2006). "Animal Congregations, or What Do You Call a Group of.....?". United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ Ray, Crystal. "Do Toads Really Cause Warts". Yahoo!. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
Further reading
- Beltz, Ellin (2005). Frogs: Inside Their Remarkable World. Firefly Books. ISBN 1-55297-869-9.
External links
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.