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A toad can refer to a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura. A distinction is often made between frogs and toads by their appearance, prompted by the convergent adaptation among so-called "toads" to dry habitats. Many "toads" often have leathery skin for better water retention, and a brown coloration for camouflage. They also tend to burrow. However, these adaptations are not reliable indicators of its ancestry. Because taxonomy reflects only evolutionary relationships, any distinction between frogs and toads is irrelevant to their classification.
For instance, many members of the frog families Bombinatoridae, Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Rhinophrynidae, Scaphiopodidae, and some species from the Microhylidae family are commonly called "toads". However, the only family exclusively given the common name "toad" is Bufonidae, or the "true toads". Some "true frogs" of the genus Rana have also adapted to burrowing habits, while a bufonid species in the genus Atelopus are conversely known by the common name "harlequin frogs".
Similarly to frogs toads also display metamorphosis from tadpole to sexually mature adult. In contrast to frog tadpoles, toad tadpoles are usually black in color.
Toads in mythology
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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Frogs in popular culture. () |
The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted toads in their art.1 To Vietnamese people, toad is the uncle of the Sky. According to a Vietnamese ancient story, whenever toads grind their teeth, it is going to rain.citation needed
It is commonly believed that physical contact with a toad can cause warts on humans. Warts are, in actuality, caused by an internal viral infection; thus, a toad could not possibly cause a wart. The paratoidal glands, which toads use to secrete poison for protection, are often mistaken for warts. This misconception could very conceivably have brought about such a superstition.
See also
- List of frogs and toads by state (U.S.)
- True toad (Bufonidae)
- True frog (Ranidae)
Notes
- ^ Berrin, Katherine & Larco Museum. The Spirit of Ancient Peru:Treasures from the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1997.
- Anura (TSN 173423). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 4 May 2006.
Further reading
- Beltz, Ellin (2005). Frogs: Inside their Remarkable World. Firefly Books. ISBN 1552978699.
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 20 November 2008, at 18:33.
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