''Incilius aucoinae'' 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 ...

s in the family

Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat main, Toad This category contains both species commonly called toads, and the true toads from the family Bufonidae {{Cat m ...

. It is found in south-western Costa Rica and adjacent western Panama. Before its

description Description is the pattern of narrative development that aims to make vivid a place, object, character, or group. Description is one of four rhetorical modes (also known as ''modes of discourse''), along with exposition, argumentation, and narr ...

in 2004, it was confused with ''

Incilius melanochlorus ''Incilius melanochlorus'', formerly ''Bufo melanochlorus'', is a mid-sized species of toad with a crested head in the family Bufonidae. It is primarily distinguished by its very long first finger with respect to the other fingers. It is found in ...

''.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''aucoinae'' honors Lisa Aucoin (1971–2001), an American

herpetologist Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

who died in a car accident shortly after returning from a trip to Costa Rica.

Habitat and conservation

It is a very abundant species living in forested habitats, from tree plantations to primary forests. Reproduction takes place in broad, low-gradient streams and rivers during the dry season. There are no important threats to this adaptable species; it also occurs in several protected areas.

References

aucoinae Amphibians of Costa Rica Amphibians of Panama Amphibians described in 2004 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Bufonidae-stub