Asiatic toad Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Asiatic toad

This toad was found on a mountainside in Miryang, South Korea.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification

The Asiatic toad or Chusan Island toad (Bufo gargarizans) is a type of toad that lives only in East Asia. This toad was once thought to be a subspecies of the common toad, but now it's recognized as its own unique species.

Where the Asiatic Toad Lives
- What Kind of Places Do They Like?
How Asiatic Toads Help Humans
Gallery
See also

Where the Asiatic Toad Lives

The Asiatic toad is very common in China. You can find it in many parts of the country, like Anhui, Fujian, and Sichuan. It also lives in some areas of the Russian Far East, such as near the Amur River and on Sakhalin Island. However, it's not as common on the Korean Peninsula.

You might also find Asiatic toads on the Miyako Islands in southern Japan. But sadly, they have disappeared from some of these islands recently, possibly even Okinawa. The special kind of Asiatic toad found on the Miyako Islands is called the Bufo gargarizans miyakonis or the Miyako toad.

What Kind of Places Do They Like?

Asiatic toads usually stay away from very thick forests. But they can live in most other places! This includes open areas like grasslands, light forests, meadows, and even farms. They really like places that are a bit wet or humid. You usually won't find them living higher than 800 meters (about 2,600 feet) above sea level.

How Asiatic Toads Help Humans

The Asiatic toad has been important in traditional Oriental medicine for a long time. People have used a special substance from the toad's skin, called chan-su, as a type of medicine. Also, dried toad skins were used in the past to help with certain health problems.

More recently, scientists in Western medicine have also become interested in this toad. In 1998, they found a special germ-fighting substance, called an antimicrobial peptide, in the toad. This discovery was even patented!