The evergreen toad (''Incilius coniferus'') is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
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
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 ...
.
Conservation status
It is potentially 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 ...
, but is still
categorized as a
least-concern species
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature
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 ...
. A species cannot be assigned to the least-concern category unless it has had its population status evaluated.
Description
![Bufo coniferus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Bufo_coniferus.jpg)
The evergreen toad (also known as the "green climbing toad") can be colored with browns, greens, and even yellows. These colors on its back and other areas of the body are arranged in a camouflage pattern that can be unique between each member of the species. Its eyes are green with vertically slit pupils.
Adult males of the species can measure approximately 53–72 mm and adult females 76–94 mm. Females and males in adulthood or easy to tell apart due to males usually having just abit brighter coloring. However, when they haven't
metamorphosed
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...
yet, males and females are practically indistinguishable as all the tadpoles look identical.
Distribution and habitat
It is found in
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
,
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
, and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
.
The toad is commonly found in
lowland
Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland.
Definitions
Upland and lowland are portions of ...
wet and moist forest zones, and is less frequently found in per-mountain wet forest and lower mountain wet forest zones. 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 subtropical or tropical moist lowland
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,
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
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, rural gardens,
urban area
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
s, and heavily degraded former forest. The
Pacific Equatorial Forest The Pacific Equatorial Forest (also known as the Pacific Forest of Ecuador) is a tropical forest ecosystem located along Ecuador's coastal mountain range at 0° latitude, primarily concentrated in northwestern Manabí. The ecosystem is most notable ...
is also this green toad's home.
Altitude
It is present up to above sea level.
[Savage, J. M. (2002). ''The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica.'' University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.]
References
coniferus
Amphibians of Colombia
Amphibians of Costa Rica
Amphibians of Ecuador
Amphibians of Nicaragua
Amphibians of Panama
Amphibians described in 1862
Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Bufonidae-stub