The South American common toad (''Rhinella margaritifera''; also mitred toad, in Spanish sapo crestado) is a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

toad Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scient ...

s in the family

Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae. Animals by common name Frogs ...

. They are found throughout the Amazonian South America (

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, Colombia,

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic ...

, Guyana,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

, and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

) and eastern

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

. It was originally believed to be a single species, but is now known to represent a complex of more than one. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s are primary and secondary lowland, premontane and montane tropical moist forests (including terra firme and seasonally flooded forests). It is a generalist species that can also be found in disturbed areas.

Member species

As of 2013, there were 16 formally described species within this

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

, as well as an unknown number that are yet to be recognized. *''

Rhinella acutirostris ''Rhinella acutirostris'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Panama, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, freshwater marsh A marsh is a wetland ...

'' *''

Rhinella alata ''Rhinella'', commonly known as South American toads, beaked toads or Rio Viejo toads, is a genus of true toads native to Neotropical parts of Mexico, Central and South America. Additionally, the cane toad has been introduced to Australia, the Ca ...

'' *'' Rhinella castaneotica'' *'' Rhinella dapsilis'' *'' Rhinella hoogmoedi'' *'' Rhinella lescurei'' *'' Rhinella magnussoni'' *'' Rhinella margaritifera'' *'' Rhinella paraguayensis'' *'' Rhinella martyi'' *'' Rhinella ocellata'' *''

Rhinella proboscidea ''Rhinella proboscidea'' is a species of small South American toad in the family Bufonidae, common in the Amazon rainforest. It is the only species known to practice reproductive necrophilia. Taxonomy The specific name derives from the Latin ...

'' *'' Rhinella roqueana'' *'' Rhinella scitula'' *'' Rhinella sclerocephala'' *''

Rhinella stanlaii ''Rhinella stanlaii'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Bolivia and occurs on the Amazonian versant of the Bolivian Andes in the Cochabamba, La Paz, and Santa Cruz departments. ''Rhinella stanlaii'' inhabits humi ...

References

margaritifera ''Margaritifera'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the family Margaritiferidae, the freshwater pearl mussels. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Margaritifera Schumacher, 1815. Accessed through: World Register ...

Amphibians of Bolivia Amphibians of Brazil Amphibians of Colombia Amphibians of Ecuador Amphibians of French Guiana Amphibians of Guyana Amphibians of Panama Amphibians of Peru Amphibians of Suriname Amphibians of Venezuela Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 1768 Animal species groups Taxa named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti {{Bufonidae-stub