| True toads are the
rough skinned, "warty," squat-boddied, short-legged amphibians that most
people think of when they hear the word "toad." There are 25 genera
and approximately 300 species worldwide. Examples of true toads occur
worldwide except New Guinea, Polynesia, Australia, Madagascar, and Antarctica.
Characteristics of bufonids are the existence of parotoid glands which
exude toxins, but the lack of maxillary teeth.
The genus Bufo is the largest true
toad genus, containing over 200 species. Eighteen species and several
subspecies occur in the United States and Canada. Two species occur
in West Virginia.
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