The Apennine yellow-bellied toad (''Bombina pachypus'') is a species of
toad
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...
in the family
Bombinatoridae
Bombinatoridae is a family of toads found in Eurasia. Species of the family have flattened bodies and some are highly toxic.
Taxonomy and systematics
Fossil specimens of the genus ''Bombina'' are known from the Pliocene to the Pleistocene. The ...
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to Italy. Its natural
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s are temperate
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s, temperate
grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
,
swamp
A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s, freshwater
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
es, intermittent freshwater marshes,
arable land
Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...
, pastureland,
pond
A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...
s, open excavations, irrigated land, and seasonally flooded agricultural land. It is threatened by
habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
.
Description
This species was once thought to be a subspecies of the
yellow-bellied toad
The yellow-bellied toad (''Bombina variegata'') belongs to the order Anura, the family Bombinatoridae, and the genus of fire-bellied toads. The toad is distributed mainly across western Europe as well as a handful of countries in eastern Europ ...
''B. variegata''. It has a compact body and a rounded snout and the skin of the back is covered with
tubercle
In anatomy, a tubercle (literally 'small tuber', Latin for 'lump') is any round nodule, small eminence, or warty outgrowth found on external or internal organs of a plant or an animal.
In plants
A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection ...
s. The pupil of the eye is triangular. The dorsal surface is dark tan or dark greyish-brown, often with washed-out, bright spots. The underparts, including the inner sides of the limbs, the fingers and toes, is greyish-blue to black-blue with striking, bright yellow to orange spots or patches, usually covering more than half of the underside.
Distribution and habitat
The Apennine yellow-bellied toad is endemic to Italy, where it is found south of the Valley of the River Po, throughout the Apennine Hills and southwards to the tip of the Italian mainland. Its range varies from above sea level. It is found in ponds and ditches in forests and open areas. It breeds in ponds, wetlands, ditches, ruts, pools, and drinking troughs.
[
]
Behaviour
The Apennine yellow-bellied toad is a diurnal species, and hibernates from about November to April. Breeding activity starts soon after the toads leave hibernation, and females lay multiple clutches of a few eggs in temporary water bodies.[
This species produces a toxic secretion from its skin. If attacked by a predator, it arches its back to expose its brilliantly coloured ]aposematic
Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...
underparts which give warning of its toxicity.[
]
Status
This toad seems to be declining in numbers, although it is not clear why. Changes in agricultural practices may partly be to blame or the fungal disease chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis ( ) is an infectious disease in amphibians, caused by the chytrid fungi ''Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' and ''Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans''. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or extincti ...
may be the cause. The IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
has listed it as "Endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
", and believes further investigation should be undertaken into its decline.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q618192
Bombina
Amphibians of Europe
Endemic fauna of Italy
Amphibians described in 1838
Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot