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Species
Rhinella marina (Linnaeus, 1758)
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
This species ranges from southern Texas, USA, through tropical Mexico and Central America to northern South America (central Brazil and Amazonian Peru and northern parts of Amazonian Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela [including Margarita Island] and the Guianas, throughout Trinidad and Tobago). It is introduced in southern Florida, Puerto Rico (introduced in the 1920s), St Croix, St Thomas, Hawaii (introduced from Puerto Rico in 1932, now common on all main islands), Jamaica (including Cabarita Island) (introduced from Barbados in 1844, common throughout island in lowlands), the U.S. Virgin Islands, Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, the Grenadines, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent, Barbados, Aruba, Grenada, Guam (McCoid 1993), Saipan (Wiles and Guerrero 1996), and many other tropical and subtropical localities (Schwartz and Henderson 1988). It is also an invasive and introduced species in much of the lowlands of Papua New Guinea, the Admiralty and Bismarck Islands and the Solomon Islands. It was introduced to Australia in 1935, to north tropical Queensland to control sugar cane pests (which it failed to do). Now the southern limit of its distribution is near Coffs Harbour in northeastern New South Wales, and its range extends through most of Queensland and into the Northern Territory to Kakadu National Park (first recorded at Koolpin Gorge, 24 June 2002 and Twin Falls, 10 June 2002). It is also introduced and now widespread in the Philippines. It is found on most of the major islands. It was introduced into Japan first from Hawaii to Taiwan, Province of China, and then from Taiwan through Daito Islands (1930) to Ishigaki Island (1978). The population of Bonin Island was introduced from Guam, which in itself had the species introduced in 1937 (Christy et al. 2007). It is also found on Hatomajima. It occurs from sea level up to 3,000 m asl.
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Rights holder/Author | International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/41065 |
Bufo marinus is a highly adaptable invader and where it occurs in Florida it is typically found in agricultural and urbanized areas.The native range of B. marinus extends from northern South America, through Central America and Mexico, and up into southernmost Texas (Conant and Collins 1991, Somma 2004).The species is established in south Florida and around Tampa on the Gulf coast, and they are also found on Stock Island and Key West (USGS/SEARMI). These populations are probably derived from intentional introductions as well as accidental introductions in agricultural products and from escapes of pets from homes and from the pet trade (Somma 2004). Collection records indicate Bufo marinus occurs in at least three of six India River Lagoon watershed counties (Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River, probably St. Lucie as well). It appears to be widely established in Palm Beach and Martin counties. Smaller populations of B. marinus pesist elsewhere in isolated pockets as, for example, an established population reported in Vero Beach near Dodgertown in 2002.
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Rights holder/Author | Text can be freely copied and altered, as long as original author and source are properly acknowledged. |
Source | http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Bufo_marinus.htm |
Rhinella marina forages primarily nocturnally in mature forests and roadways. It feeds on ants, beetles, and earwigs in southern Florida, but has been found with dragonflies, grasshoppers, truebugs, crustaceans, gastropods, plant matter and even dog and cat food in their stomachs (Krakauer 1968).
Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore , Eats non-insect arthropods)
- Krakauer, T. 1968. The Ecology of the Neotropical Toad, Bufo marinus in southern Florida. Herpetologica, 24(3): 214-221.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rhinella_marina/ |
The eggs hatch between forty-eight hours and one week. The tadpoles tend to be small and black and aggregate in dense numbers. Tadpoles metamorphose into small toadlets identical to the adults in forty-five to fifty-five days (Bureau of Rural Sciences 1998).
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rhinella_marina/ |
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N2 - Imperiled
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rhinella+marina |
Rhinella marina has a grey olive brown dorsal skin with many warts ending in dark brown caps. The ventral skin tends to be a whitish yellow with dark brown speckles or mottles and is granular. Rhinella marina possesses huge paratoid glands stretching from the anterior side of the tympanum to halfway down the back. A high bony ridge meets at the snout between the nostrils. Rhinella marina, like other nocturnal species, has horizontal pupils. Rhinella marina can reach a maximum length of 238 millimeters, although generally is approximately 150 to 175 millimeters.
Range length: 150 to 238 mm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry ; poisonous
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Average mass: 106.25 g.
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.0303 W.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rhinella_marina/ |
Comments: Metamorphosed toads eat mainly various terrestrial invertebrates, especially ants and beetles; sometimes small vertebrates; also may eat inanimate foods such as processed pet food and discarded food scraps (McCoid, 1994, Herpetol. Rev. 25:117-118). Larvae eat suspended matter, organic debris, algae, and plant tissue.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Hammerson, G., NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rhinella+marina |
Breeding season
Breeding occurs year-round (Ibanez et al 1999). Rhinella marina uses a wide variety of aquatic habitats for breeding, ranging from temporary pools to rivers and lakes (Ibanez et al 1999).
Egg
Small, black eggs are laid in strings in shallow water (Ibanez et al 1999).
Tadpole
The tadpoles are small and black (Ibanez et al 1999). The tadpoles often aggregate while feeding during the day (Hughey pers. obs.).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Myra Hughey, Amphibians of Panama |
Source | http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/amphibians/en/species/192/ |
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
Intrinsic Vulnerability: Moderately vulnerable
Environmental Specificity: Moderate to broad.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rhinella+marina |
Length: 22 cm
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Hammerson, G., NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rhinella+marina |