Toad
| Toad | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura Merrem, 1820 |
A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura (frogs) characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and snout-like parotoid glands.[citation needed] A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in taxonomy, but is common in popular culture, in which toads are associated with drier skin and more terrestrial habitats than frogs.[1] In taxonomy, toads are spread across 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 into its environment visually by breaking up its outline.[citation needed] And, although the parotoid glands are often mistaken for "warts", they are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.[4]
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See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "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 [edit]
- Beltz, Ellin (2005). Frogs: Inside their Remarkable World. Firefly Books. ISBN 1-55297-869-9.
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Look up toad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Toad". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
