The South American common toad (''Rhinella margaritifera''; also mitred toad, in Spanish sapo crestado) is a

species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

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 scient ...

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 Category, plural categories, may refer to: Philosophy and general uses *Categorization, cat ...

. They are found throughout the Amazonian South America ( Bolivia,

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, Colombia,

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: ' ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...

, Guyana,

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, Suriname, and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

) and eastern

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 Co ...

. It was originally believed to be a single species, but is now known to represent a complex of more than one. 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 primary and secondary lowland, premontane and montane tropical moist forests (including terra firme and seasonally flooded forests). It is a generalist species that can also be found in disturbed areas.

Member species

As of 2013, there were 16 formally described species within this

complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

, as well as an unknown number that are yet to be recognized. *'' Rhinella acutirostris'' *'' Rhinella alata'' *''

Rhinella castaneotica ''Rhinella castaneotica'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is known from the Amazon Basin in Bolivia ( Pando), Brazil ( Amazonas, Pará, and Rondônia), Colombia ( Amazonas, Caquetá, and Putumayo), and eastern Peru, but li ...

'' *'' Rhinella dapsilis'' *'' Rhinella hoogmoedi'' *'' Rhinella lescurei'' *'' Rhinella magnussoni'' *'' Rhinella margaritifera'' *'' Rhinella paraguayensis'' *'' Rhinella martyi'' *'' Rhinella ocellata'' *'' Rhinella proboscidea'' *''

Rhinella roqueana ''Rhinella roqueana'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in northern Peru, eastern Ecuador ( Pastaza), Amazonian Colombia ( Amazonas and Caquetá Departments), and adjacent western Brazil. Its specific name refers to i ...

'' *'' Rhinella scitula'' *''

Rhinella sclerocephala ''Rhinella sclerocephala'' is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Sierra de San Luis in the Falcón state, Venezuela. Its natural habitats are cloud forests at elevations of Above sea level, asl. Its habitat is under ...

'' *'' Rhinella stanlaii''

References

margaritifera ''Margaritifera'' is a genus of freshwater mussels, aquatic bivalve molluscs in the family Margaritiferidae, the freshwater pearl mussels. MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Margaritifera Schumacher, 1815. Accessed through: World Registe ...

Amphibians of Bolivia Amphibians of Brazil Amphibians of Colombia Amphibians of Ecuador Amphibians of French Guiana Amphibians of Guyana Amphibians of Panama Amphibians of Peru Amphibians of Suriname Amphibians of Venezuela Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Amphibians described in 1768 Animal species groups Taxa named by Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti {{Bufonidae-stub