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Pelobatoidea

The Pelobatoidea are a superfamily of frogs. They typically combine a toad-like body shape with a frog-like, pointed face (hence the German name 'Krötenfrösche', literally 'toad frogs'). Phylogenetically they stand between primitive frogs (fire-bellied toads, midwife toads) on the one side and higher frogs (the family of true toads, tree frogs, and the family of true frogs) on the other and are therefore – among other things by characteristics of bone construction – in the suborder Mesobatrachia.

Per 2016, the Pelobatoidea contain 202 species in 11 genera and 2 families. The distribution covers Europe, North Africa and West Asia (Family Pelobatidae) and Southeast Asia (family Megophryidae). Their sister group are the Pelodytoidea, consisting of North American spadefood toads and parsley frogs.

A striking characteristic is the vertically slit pupil in daylight. The tongue is thick, circular, and almost entirely adhering to the floor of the mouth. When mating the males clutches the females in the lumbar region, just before the hind legs (inguinal Amplexus).

Taxonomy to the genus level

  • Family Megophryidae Bonaparte, 1850 - Litter frogs or Asian toad frogs (202 species)
  • Genus Atympanophrys <small>Tian and Hu, 1983</small> (4 species)
  • Genus Brachytarsophrys <small>Tian and Hu, 1983</small> - Karin Hills frogs (5 species)
  • Genus Leptobrachella <small>Smith, 1925</small> - Borneo frogs (9 species)
  • Genus Leptobrachium <small>Tschudi, 1838</small> - Eastern spade foot toads (35 species; including previous Vibrissaphora species)
  • Genus Leptolalax <small>Dubois, 1980</small>- Asian toads (50 species)
  • Genus Megophrys <small>Kuhl & Hasselt, 1822</small> - Asian spadefoot toads (8 species)
  • Species Megophrys nasuta Schlegel, 1858 - Long-nosed horned frog
  • Genus Ophryophryne <small>Boulenger, 1903</small> - Mountain toads (5 species)
  • Genus Oreolalax <small>Myers & Leviton, 1962</small> (18 species)
  • Genus Scutiger <small>Theobald, 1868</small> - Lazy Toads (21 species)
  • Genus Xenophrys <small>Günther, 1864</small> (47 species)
  • Family Pelobatidae <small>Bonaparte, 1850</small> - Palearctic Spadefoot toads (4 species)
  • Genus Pelobates <small>Wagler, 1830</small> - European spade foot toads (4 species)
  • Species Pelobates cultripes <small>Cuvier, 1829</small> - Western Spadefoot
  • Species Pelobates fuscus <small>Laurenti, 1768</small> - Common Spadefoot

Pelodytoidea

  • Family Pelodytidae <small>Bonaparte, 1850</small> - Parsley frogs or Mud divers (3 species)
  • Genus Pelodytes <small>Bonaparte, 1838</small> - Parsley frogs (3 species)
  • Species Pelodytes punctatus <small>Daudin, 1802</small> - Common parsley frog
  • Family Scaphiopodidae <small>Cope, 1865</small> - Nearctic spadefoot toads
  • Genus Scaphiopus <small>Holbrook, 1836</small> Eastern or Southern Spadefoot Toads (3 species)
  • Species Scaphiopus couchii <small>Baird, 1854</small> - Couch's spadefoot toad
  • Genus Spea <small>Cope, 1866</small> Western Spadefoots (4 species)

References

Further reading

  • Herre, W. (1950): "On the problem of taxonomy of Anuren". Zool. Scoreboard 164, pp.&nbsp;394–400.
  • Kuhn, O. (1961): The families of the recent and fossil amphibians and reptiles, 79 pp publishing house Meisenhelder Bach KG Bamberg.