Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
The bufonids are species with a cosmopolitan distribution that notably vary in shape, size and diversity of coloration. In terms of size, the Bufonidae species range from diminutive species likeDendrophryniscus carvalhoiIzecksohn, 1994 (less than 20 mm SVL in adults), to species like those ofRhinella marina's group (about 230 mm SVL in adults).
In relation to coloration, there are species that have evident colors in their skins, reminding us the Dendrobatidae family.Atelophus pulcher(Boulenger, 1882), for example, shows a yellowish skin with black patches along their body. On the other hand, other species have a less outstanding coloration, likeRhinella jimi(Stevaux, 2002), which has a slightly greenish body with dark patches at the back.
A bufonids' unique feature is the presence of the Bidder's organ in the male tadpoles; this organ can also persist in the majority of adults. All adult individuals of the family lack teeth on their jaw, what makes the Bufonidae toothless frogs during the adult stage.
The Neobatrachia (Neo-Latin neo- ("new") + batrachia ("frogs")) are a suborder of the Anura, the order of frogs and toads.
This suborder is the most advanced and apomorphic of the three anuran suborders alive today, hence its name, which literally means "new frogs" (from the hellenic words neo, meaning "new" and batrachia, meaning "frogs"). It is also by far the largest of the three; its more than 5,000 different species make up over 96% of all living anurans.
The differentiation between Archaeobatrachia, Mesobatrachia, and Neobatrachia is based primarily on anatomic differences, especially the skeletal structure, as well as several visible characteristics and behaviors.
Separating the Anura into the Archaeo-, Meso- and Neobatrachia is somewhat controversial; as more research is done and more knowledge is gained, it is becoming even less clear, because many characteristics used for this differentiation apply to more than one group.
Neobatrachia are usually sorted into five superfamilies, but this division is also controversial, as some families are placed into different superfamilies by different authors. In addition, several families have been revealed to be paraphyletic and consequently divided to make them correspond to clades and thus be natural, evolutionary groups. This has approximately doubled the number of presently recognized neobatrachian families.
The clades and families currently accepted in the Neobatrachia are:[2][3]
Litoria microbelos call of Litoria microbelos Problems playing this file? See media help. The Neobatrachia (Neo-Latin neo- ("new") + batrachia ("frogs")) are a suborder of the Anura, the order of frogs and toads.
This suborder is the most advanced and apomorphic of the three anuran suborders alive today, hence its name, which literally means "new frogs" (from the hellenic words neo, meaning "new" and batrachia, meaning "frogs"). It is also by far the largest of the three; its more than 5,000 different species make up over 96% of all living anurans.
The differentiation between Archaeobatrachia, Mesobatrachia, and Neobatrachia is based primarily on anatomic differences, especially the skeletal structure, as well as several visible characteristics and behaviors.
