''Rhinella scitula'' 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 the southwestern

Mato Grosso do Sul Mato Grosso do Sul () is one of the Midwestern states of Brazil. Neighboring Brazilian states are (from north clockwise) Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay, to the southwest, and ...

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 ...

, and in the adjacent southeastern

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

(

Amambay Amambay () is a department in Paraguay. The capital is Pedro Juan Caballero. The name comes from the name of a part of the Caaguazú Cordillera, " Amambai Mountains". Amambay is the name of a fern, typical of the forest in the region. Distri ...

and Concepción Departments).

Description

Males measure and females in snout–vent length. The species has a robust appearance. The snout is rounded with a small apical apophysis in dorsal view and sub-acuminate in lateral profile. The coloration is variable. The dorsum is generally light brown to dark brown. Light-colored individuals have no pattern or have a cream vertebral line. Darker specimens have a broadish, light brown vertebral stripe. There is a black, triangular inter-ocular spot facing backward, as well as an oblong dorsal blackish spot that connects to another black spot near the urostyle. The belly is light creamy, marbled with light gray.

Habitat and conservation

''Rhinella scitula'' is associated with seasonal forests and mountainous landscapes at elevations between

above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...

. Breeding takes place in small pools in slow-flowing streams after rainfalls and is of explosive type. Males call mainly during twilight. The species is abundant in seasonal forest areas with rocky outcrops. As of 2004, no threats to this then recently described species had been identified.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28032226 scitula Frogs of Brazil Amphibians of Paraguay Amphibians described in 2003 Taxa named by Ulisses Caramaschi Taxonomy articles created by Polbot