{{Short description|Common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae}} {{About|amphibians|the Super Mario character|Toad (Mario)}} {{other uses}} {{pp-semi-indef}} {{pp-move-indef}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Bombina bombina 1 (Marek Szczepanek).jpg | image_caption = European fire-bellied toad (''Bombina bombina''), a member of the family Bombinatoridae | image2 = Anaxyrus americanus - American Toad Vocalization.wav | image2_caption = Vocalization of the American toad. | taxon = Anura | authority = Merrem, 1820 | subdivision_ranks = Families | subdivision = List of Anuran families }}
'''Toad''' (also known as a '''hoptoad''') is a generic common name for certain groups of frogs, especially those of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by short legs and dry, leathery skin with large bumps made of the parotoid glands.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=toad|title= toad|website= The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language|publisher= Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|access-date= 6 October 2016}}</ref><ref name=EncycloBrit>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/animal/toad#ref58502|title=toad {{!}} amphibian|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2017-05-23|language=en}}</ref>
In popular culture (folk taxonomy), toads are distinguished from frogs by their drier, rougher skin and association with more terrestrial habitats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/toad |title=Toad |publisher=Dictionary.com, LLC |access-date=29 May 2012}}</ref> However, this distinction does not align precisely with scientific taxonomy.
== List of toad families == In scientific taxonomy, toads include the true toads (Bufonidae) and various other terrestrial or warty-skinned frogs.
Non-bufonid "toads" can be found in the families:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=173423 |title=Anura, Taxonomic Serial No.: 173423 |work=ITIS Report |publisher=Integrated Taxonomic Information System |access-date=20 April 2012}}</ref>
* Bombinatoridae (fire-bellied toads and jungle toads) * Calyptocephalellidae (helmeted water toad and false toads) * Discoglossidae (midwife toads) * Myobatrachidae (Australian toadlets) * Pelobatidae (European spadefoot toad) * Rhinophrynidae (burrowing toads) * Scaphiopodidae (American spadefoot toads) * Microhylidae (narrowmouth toads)
== Biology == Usually the largest of the bumps on a toad's skin are those that cover the parotoid glands. The bumps are commonly called warts, but they have nothing to do with pathologic warts, being fixed in size, present on healthy specimens, and not caused by infection.<ref name="EncycloBrit" /> It is a myth that handling toads causes warts.<ref name="EncycloBrit" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Butts |first1=Wilbur K. |title=Error and Superstition in Biology |journal=BIOS |date=1933 |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=52–60 |jstor=4603978 }}</ref>
Toads travel from non-breeding to breeding areas of ponds and lakes. Bogert (1947) suggests that the toads' call is the most important cue in the homing to ponds. Toads, like many amphibians, exhibit breeding site fidelity (philopatry). Individual American toads return to their natal ponds to breed, making it likely they will encounter siblings when seeking potential mates. Although inbred examples within a species are possible, siblings rarely mate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/americantoad.htm|title=American Toad|work=psu.edu}}</ref> Toads recognize and avoid mating with close kin. Advertisement vocalizations given by males appear to serve as cues by which females recognize kin.<ref>Waldman B, Rice JE, Honeycutt RL. Kin recognition and incest avoidance in toads. Am. Zool. 1992. 32:18-30.</ref> Kin recognition thus allows avoidance of inbreeding and consequent inbreeding depression.
== Habitat == {{Globalize|date=May 2026|2=England}} In the United Kingdom, common toads often climb trees to hide in hollows or in nest boxes.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/2311987-common-toads-surprise-biologists-by-climbing-trees/ | title=Common toads surprise biologists by climbing trees }}</ref>
==Cultural depictions== {{Further|Toadstone|List of fictional frogs and toads}} thumb|Vietnamese folk painting "Nhân nghĩa" thumb|Vietnamese folk painting "Lão oa giảng độc"
In Kenneth Grahame's novel ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908), Mr. Toad is a likeable and popular, if selfish and narcissistic, comic character. Mr. Toad reappears as the lead character in A. A. Milne's play ''Toad of Toad Hall'' (1929), based on the book.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml | title=The Big Read Top 200 | publisher=BBC | date=April 2003 | access-date=28 June 2016}}.</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Christine Paik |title=100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900: From ''Book'' Magazine, March/April 2002 |url=https://www.npr.org/programs/totn/features/2002/mar/020319.characters.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020408191445/https://www.npr.org/programs/totn/features/2002/mar/020319.characters.html |archive-date=8 April 2002 |url-status=dead |work=Talk of the Nation |publisher=NPR |date=2002-03-19 |access-date=2013-02-26}}</ref>
In Chinese culture, the Money Toad (or Frog) Jin Chan appears as a feng shui charm for prosperity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fengshui-doctrine.com/index.php?q=feng-shui-money-frog.html |title=Feng Shui Money Frog |access-date=28 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501191603/http://fengshui-doctrine.com/index.php?q=feng-shui-money-frog.html |archive-date=1 May 2014 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Frogs}} * True toad * Common toad
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Wiktionary}} {{Commons}} * {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Toad |volume=26 |page=1035 |short=x}}
Category:Toads Category:Amphibian common names