Geographic range:
Oceanic Islands, Nearctic, Neotropical, Australian: . The natural
range of B. marinus extends from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas south
through Mexico and Central America to to the Central Amazon and southeastern
Peru. By humans the toad has been introduced into the Caribbean Islands,
South Florida and Australia's east coast.
Physical characteristics: Overall
body color is olive gray to brwon with irregular pattern of darker
patches. One of the prominent features are large parotid glands stretching
from the anterior side of the tympanum to halfway down the back. With
the size reaching almost 24 cm, this species belongs to the largest
toads in the world.
Food habits: Mainly nocturnal hunter,
this species feeds mostly on large variety of insects and crustaceans,
but is known to be able to take down much larger pray, including amphibians,
reptiles and small mammals.
Reproduction: Reproduction goes on
nearly allyear round. Male toads congregate in water bodies, where
they call for females. Eggs are laid in form of strings on rocks,
debris, or emergent vegetation. Within a week after the fertilization,
tadpoles emerge from the eggs. Shortly after hatching, tadpoles tend
to congregate in large groups. The process of metamorphosis to toadles
takes forty-five to fifty-five days.
Behavior: Toads are active especially
in course of the rain season. During cold or dry seasons toads stay
inactive usually hidden in shallow underground chambers. The above
mentioned parotid glands produce a very potent venom, called bufotoxin,
largely comprised of cardioactive substances. Contact with mucous
membranes or when ingested, can lead to profuse salivation, twitching;
vomiting; shallow breathing and collapse of the hind limbs. Ultimately
can cause temporary paralysis or even death in some small mammals
and predators.
Habitat: tropical and subtropical forestes with presence of
water bodies.
Biomes: tropical rainforest, tropical
deciduous forest |
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