Rhinella proboscidea facts for kids
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The Rhinella proboscidea is a small South American toad that lives in the Amazon rainforest. It belongs to the Bufonidae family, which includes many types of toads. This toad is quite common in its natural home.
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What is the Rhinella proboscidea?
The name Rhinella proboscidea comes from a Latin word, proboscis. This word means "elephant trunk", and it refers to the toad's pointed snout. This toad is part of a group of similar toads called the R. margaritifera group.
A scientist named Johann Baptist von Spix first described this toad in 1824. He called it Bufo proboscideus back then. Spix found the first example of this toad near the Solimões River during his trip to Brazil. This original toad specimen is now kept in a museum in Germany.
Later, in 2006, scientists changed the names of many toads in the Bufo group. They created a new group called Rhinella. This is why the toad's name changed to Rhinella proboscidea. There was a little mix-up because another toad already had a similar name. To fix this, the other toad was renamed Rhinella boulengeri, which is now called Dendrophryniscus proboscideus.
Where does this toad live?
This toad lives in several countries in South America. You can find it in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its favorite places to live are warm, wet forests in low areas. It also likes temporary marshes, which are wet, grassy areas that sometimes dry up.
Sadly, the places where these toads live are shrinking. This is called habitat loss, and it is a threat to the Rhinella proboscidea. Even so, it is still common in many parts of the Amazon rainforest.
What does the Rhinella proboscidea look like?
Male toads are usually between 46 and 54 millimeters long. Their skin feels smooth. Female toads are a bit larger, from 46 to 55 millimeters long, and their skin feels bumpy or "granular."
The top of the toad's body, called its dorsal side, is reddish or dark brown. It often has black and brown spots or patches. Its head is shaped like a triangle, and it has a pointed snout. The toad's belly is usually brown or gray.
Daily life and reproduction
This toad is usually active during the day. At night, it sleeps on small plants and bushes. However, when it's time to have babies, it might also be active at night.
The baby toads, called tadpoles, are light brown. They look similar to the tadpoles of other toads in the R. margaritifera group. The skin of the Rhinella proboscidea is very poisonous. Even with this protection, a type of snake called Xenoxybelis argenteus has been seen eating these toads.
This toad is an explosive breeder. This means many toads gather together to lay eggs all at once. They meet in shallow pools near the edges of streams. They stay there for two or three days, and together they fertilize thousands of eggs.
The main time for them to breed is usually from March to May. However, this can change depending on how much rain falls. After heavy rain, you might hear up to 100 male R. proboscidea toads calling loudly to find a mate.
Images for kids
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A Rhinella proboscidea toad.
See also
In Spanish: Rhinella proboscidea para niños
