African green toad

The African green toad (Bufotes boulengeri) is a species of toad found in North Africa from Western Sahara to Egypt, and on the Italian islands of Sicily, Favignana, Lampedusa and Ustica. The populations on the Italian islands were described as a separate species, the Sicilian green toad (B. siculus), in 2008, but more recent authorities treat it as a subspecies of the African green toad because they are very closely related.[2][3] Both were historically included in the European green toad (B. viridis) and all have been included in the genus Bufo.[2][3] It was previously suggested that the African green toad might range east into Sinai and the Levant, but a review has shown that this involves the related B. sitibundus.[3] The African green toad is found from coastal areas to highland plateaus in forests, scrubland, grassland, semi-deserts and deserts; it breeds in temporary ponds and similar habitats.[1][4]

African green toad
B. b. boulengeri above,

B. b. siculus below

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Bufotes
Species:
B. boulengeri
Binomial name
Bufotes boulengeri
(Lataste, 1879)
Range of African green toad, but lacking the populations on Italian islands, and incorrectly including Sinai and the Levant
Synonyms[2]
  • Bufo boulengeri
  • Pseudepidalea boulengeri
  • Bufo siculus
  • Bufotes siculus
  • Pseudepidalea sicula

In both size and colouration, the African green toad resembles other members of the genus Bufotes, including the European green toad and the Balearic green toad (B. balearicus). The range of the African and Balearic green toads approach each other in easternmost Sicily; only the latter species has coloured spots on the paratoid glands and some reddish-orange markings.[4] The two subspecies of the African green toad very closely resemble each other; the North African B. b. boulengeri may differ from the Sicilian B. b. siculus by its dorsal stripe.[4]

References
  1. Martínez-Solano, I.; R. Sindaco; A. Romano (2015). "Bufotes boulengeri". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T153568A74497730. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-1.RLTS.T153568A74497730.en.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Search for taxon: Bufotes boulengeri". Amphibian Species of the World, an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  3. Dufresnes, C.; et al. (2019). "Fifteen shades of green: The evolution of Bufotes toads revisited". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 141: 106615. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106615.
  4. Dufresnes, C. (2019). Amphibians of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East: A Photographic Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 78–79. ISBN 978-1-4729-4137-4.
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