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An ancestral mutation in the direction of thriving under drier conditions than their amphibian peers has allowed toads to thrive almost everywhere
February 5, 2010 | 5
The cane toad ( Bufo marinus ), originally from Central and South America, is perhaps best known now for its ongoing invasion of Australia. This cane toad, caught in New South Wales and dubbed "Big Bertha," weighed in at a whopping 515 grams....[More]
The common European toad, Bufo bufo , shares many of the traits that have proved vital to toads' rapid spread: large size, some independence from moisture, and an ability to lay lots of eggs in temporary waters....[More]
The common Indian toad ( Duttaphrynus melanostictus ) developed many of the same traits as its fast-expanding peers, despite being descended from a tropically adapted ancestor endemic to the Western Ghats (a mountain range stretching down India's west coast)....[More]
Another Indian toad (Duttaphryrnus scaber), descended from the same Western Ghat ancestor, shares a similar independence from water and relatively large size.
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Despite being from the toad family, Atelopus cruciger is known colloquially as a frog. Neither designation is helping to save it from the challenges brought by climate change to its habitat nor the devastating amphibian chytrid fungus disease....[More]
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5 Comments
Add CommentI'm interested in biological writings, astronomy, history an arts. I hope that your page deals wit those aspects.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'm interested in biology, history, astronomy, art and culture, but I'm not a scientis, only an amateur.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisfrom cane toad I think of pollar bear, what will happen if pollar bear were introduccd to Antarctic area?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find this article intersting because the case of these cane toads was discussed in my biology class. This extra bit of information made it clear why those toads were able to handle the hot and dry climates of Australia even though their prior habitat differed from that of the new one.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe cane toad is native to the Americas and its range stretches from the Rio Grande Valley in the southern Texas to the central Amazon and the south eastern Peru. This area encompasses both the tropical and the semi arid environments. The density of the cane toad is significantly lower within its native distribution than in the places where it has been introduced. In the South America, the density was recorded to be 20 adults per 109 yards of shoreline, 50 to 100 times lower than the density in the Australia.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.wildlifeworld360.com/venomous-cane-toads.html