Anaxyrus, containing the North American toads, is a genus of true toads in the family Bufonidae. The genus is endemic to North and Central America, and contains many familiar North American toad species such as the American toad, Woodhouse's toad, and the western toad.
Most species in this genus were initially classified in Bufo, but were split due to their genetic divergence and geographic separation. Some authorities still consider Anaxyrus to be a subgenus within Bufo. However, other authorities have disputed this classification, as doing so would also require all morphologically distinct Old World toad species to also be placed in Bufo.
Species
The following fossil taxa are also known, all of which were also previously placed in Bufo:
- â Anaxyrus defensor <small>(Meylan, 2005)</small> (Pliocene/early Pleistocene of Florida)
- â Anaxyrus hibbardi <small>(Taylor, 1937)</small> (Late Miocene of Kansas)
- â Anaxyrus pliocompactilis <small>(Wilson, 1968)</small> (Late Miocene of Kansas, possibly synonymous with Anaxyrus compactilis or Anaxyrus speciosus)
- â Anaxyrus repentinus <small>(Tihen, 1962)</small> (Mid-Late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) of Kansas, possibly synonymous with Anaxyrus woodhousii or Anaxyrus cognatus)
- â Anaxyrus rexroadensis <small>(Tihen, 1962)</small> (Pliocene/early Pleistocene of Kansas)
- â Anaxyrus spongifrons <small>(Tihen, 1962)</small> (Late Miocene of Kansas)
- â Anaxyrus suspectus <small>(Tihen, 1962)</small> (Pliocene/early Pleistocene (Blancan) of Kansas)
- â Anaxyrus tiheni <small>(Auffenberg, 1957)</small> (Late Miocene of Florida)
- â Anaxyrus valentinensis <small>(Estes & Tihen, 1964)</small> (Middle Miocene (Barstovian) of Nebraska)
References
External links
Further reading
- Tschudi JJ (1845). "Reptilium conspectus quae in Republica Peruana reperiuntur et pleraque observata vel collecta sunt in itinere". Archiv für Naturgeschichte 11 (1): 150âÂÂ170. (Anaxyrus, new genus, p. 170). (in Latin)