Incilius

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Incilius
Temporal range: Early Miocene–present
Bufo periglenes2.jpg
A golden toad, the only extinct species of toad in the Incilius genus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Bufonidae
Genus: Incilius
Cope, 1863
Type species
Bufo coniferus
(Cope, 1862)
Synonyms [1]
  • CranopsisCope, 1875 "1876"(junior homonym of Cranopsis Adams, 1860 (Mollusca) and Cranopsis Dall, 1871 (Brachiopoda))
  • OllotisCope, 1875 "1876"
  • CrepidiusCope, 1875 "1876"(primary homonym of Crepidius Candeze, 1859 (Coleoptera))
  • CrepidophryneCope, 1889(replacement name for Crepidius)
  • CranophryneCope, 1889(replacement name for Cranopsis)

Incilius is a genus of toads in the true toad family, Bufonidae. [1] [2] [3] They are sometimes known as the Central American toads or Middle American toads and are found in southern USA, Mexico, Central America, and northern Pacific South America (Colombia and Ecuador). [1] They are an ecologically and biogeographically diverse group of toads, including micro-endemic species such as Incilius spiculatus that are restricted to undisturbed cloud forests, and widespread lowland species such as Incilius valliceps that predominantly occur in disturbed habitats. [4]

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

This genus was first described in 1863 by Edward Drinker Cope who designated the type species as Incilius coniferus . This proved unpopular and these toads were known under the genus Bufo until the early 2000s. [1]

The current delineation of the genus follows Mendelson et al. (2011) who brought Cranopsis/Cranophryne/Ollotis and Crepidius/Crepidophryne into synonymy with Incilius, while providing evidence for removing Rhinella from Incilius. Taxonomy and systematics of the toads now considered to be classified in this genus had seen many changes after Incilius was resurrected to split Bufo in the less than a decade before this 2011 paper. I. coniferus went through some five name changes in less than a dozen years. [1] [5] However, the monophyly of Incilius continues to be threatened by Incilius bocourti , which might be the sister taxon of Anaxyrus . [1]

Another discussion has been the taxonomic level at which the genus is recognized. Incilius did not see wide recognition before the large-scale revision of amphibian systematics by Darrel Frost and colleagues in 2006, [6] then under the name Cranopsis, including the former " Bufo valliceps group" and some related species. However, others have argued that Incilius should be treated as a subgenus of Bufo . [7]

Species

There are at present 39 species: [1]

The AmphibiaWeb recognizes Incilius intermedius(Günther, 1858) as a valid species, [2] whereas the Amphibian Species of the World considers it a synonym of Incilius occidentalis (Camerano, 1879). [1]

One fossil species, Incilius praevius (Tihen, 1951), is known from the Early Miocene (Hemingfordian) of Florida. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True toad</span> Family of amphibians

A true toad is any member of the family Bufonidae, in the order Anura. This is the only family of anurans in which all members are known as toads, although some may be called frogs. The bufonids now comprise more than 35 genera, Bufo being the best known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf Coast toad</span> Species of amphibian

The Gulf Coast toad is a species of toad native to eastern and southeastern Mexico and Central America as far south as Costa Rica.

<i>Incilius bocourti</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius bocourti is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in southwestern Guatemala and in Chiapas in the adjacent Mexico. Its phylogenetic position is uncertain; it might not to belong to this genus, being the sister taxon of Anaxyrus instead. It is named after Marie Firmin Bocourt, a French zoologist and artist.

<i>Incilius coniferus</i> Species of amphibian

The evergreen toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae.

<i>Incilius ibarrai</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius ibarrai is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in the central and southern highlands of Guatemala and adjacent Honduras. The specific name ibarrai honors Jorge Alfonso Ibarra (1921–2000), then-director of the Guatemalan National Natural History Museum.

<i>Incilius macrocristatus</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius macrocristatus a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in Chiapas in southern Mexico and the adjacent Guatemala. Its natural habitats are cloud forests and pine-oak-Liquidambar forests. Breeding takes place in streams. It is a rare species that is threatened by habitat loss caused by agriculture and human settlement, and by water pollution.

<i>Incilius marmoreus</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius marmoreus, commonly known as Wiegmann's toad or marbled toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Mexico and found along the Pacific coastal plain between northern Sinaloa and Chiapas. There is also an isolated population in the region of Veracruz on the Atlantic coast, and a record from Hidalgo.

<i>Incilius melanochlorus</i> Species of Central American toad in the family Bufonidae

Incilius melanochlorus, formerly Bufo melanochlorus, is a mid-sized species of toad with a crested head in the family Bufonidae. It is primarily distinguished by its very long first finger with respect to the other fingers. It is found in southern Nicaragua, in the northern Cordillera Central and on the Atlantic slopes of eastern Costa Rica, and in western Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine toad</span> Species of amphibian

The pine toad is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Mexico and found on the Central Mexican Plateau.

<i>Incilius pisinnus</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius pisinnus is a species of "true" toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Mexico and known from the Tepalcatepec Valley in Michoacán. Prior to its description in 2005, it was mixed with Incilius coccifer and Incilius cycladen. The specific name pisinnus, from the Latin word for "small", refers to the comparatively small size of this species among its close relatives.

<i>Incilius porteri</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius porteri is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Montañas de Comayagua region, Honduras. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests. It is likely threatened by habitat loss and chytridiomycosis.

<i>Incilius signifer</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius signifer is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Panama and known from the Pacific Coast to 800 m (2,600 ft) asl, west of the Canal Zone. Prior to its description in 2005, it was mixed with Incilius coccifer. Its natural habitats are tropical dry forests. It tolerates habitat modification but could be threatened by severe habitat modification.

<i>Incilius spiculatus</i> Species of amphibian

Incilius spiculatus is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to Oaxaca, Mexico, and known from the northern slopes of the Sierra de Juárez and the adjacent Sierra Mixe. Its natural habitats are cloud forests and lowland rainforests. It breeds in streams. It is threatened by habitat loss.

<i>Sclerophrys</i> Genus of amphibians

Sclerophrys is a genus of "true toads", family Bufonidae, native to Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. Originally, all of these species were classified in the genus Bufo. The genus, originally named Amietophrynus, was split due to large enough taxonomic divergence. Ohler and Dubois showed in 2016 that Sclerophrys capensis Tschudi, 1838 is the same species as Bufo regularis rangeri Hewitt, 1935, the type species of Amietophrynus. Because the former name is older, the implication is that Amietophrynus is a junior synonym of Sclerophrys.

The Latin word Cranopsis has been used to name animal genera of frogs, mollusks and branchiopods. Cranopsis, was used for an anuran, and is a junior homonym of Cranopsis, for a mollusk; and Cranopsis, for a branchiopod. Cranopsis currently describes a mollusk genus in the family Fissurellidae.

Incilius guanacaste is a species of toads in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Cordillera de Guanacaste in northern Costa Rica. The species is only known from the slopes of Miravalles Volcano and Rincón de la Vieja Volcano.

<i>Peltophryne</i> Genus of amphibians

Peltophryne is a genus of true toads in the family Bufonidae, from the Greater Antilles. With ten endemic species, Cuba hosts the highest diversity. Hispaniola has three endemics and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands combined have one.

<i>Rhaebo</i> Genus of amphibians

Rhaebo is a genus of true toads, family Bufonidae, from Central and South America. They are distributed from Honduras to northern South America including the Amazonian lowlands. Common name Cope toads has been suggested for them.

<i>Vandijkophrynus</i> Genus of amphibians

Vandijkophrynus, also known as Van Dijk's toads, are a small genus of true toads, family Bufonidae. They are native to Southern Africa. The name commemorates Eddie Van Dijk, a South African herpetologist.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Incilius Cope, 1863". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Bufonidae". AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  3. Vitt, Laurie J.; Caldwell, Janalee P. (2014). Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (4th ed.). Academic Press. p. 490.
  4. Mendelson, J. R. III; D. G. Mulcahy; T. S. Williams; J. W. Sites, Jr. (2011). "A phylogeny and evolutionary natural history of mesoamerican toads (Anura: Bufonidae: Incilius) based on morphology, life history, and molecular data" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3138: 1–34. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3138.1.1.
  5. Mendelson III, Joseph R.; Mulcahy, Daniel G.; Williams, Tyler S.; Sites Jr., Jack W. (21 December 2011). "A phylogeny and evolutionary natural history of mesoamerican toads (Anura: Bufonidae: Incilius) based on morphology, life history, and molecular data". Zootaxa. 3138: 1–34. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3138.1.1 . Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  6. Frost, D. R.; Grant, T.; Faivovich, J. N.; Bain, R. H.; Haas, A.; Haddad, C. L. F. B.; De Sá, R. O.; Channing, A.; Wilkinson, M.; Donnellan, S. C.; Raxworthy, C. J.; Campbell, J. A.; Blotto, B. L.; Moler, P.; Drewes, R. C.; Nussbaum, R. A.; Lynch, J. D.; Green, D. M.; Wheeler, W. C. (2006). "The amphibian tree of life". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 297: 1–291. doi: 10.1206/0003-0090(2006)297[0001:TATOL]2.0.CO;2 . hdl:2246/5781.
  7. Pauly, Greg B.; Hillis, David M.; Cannatella, David C. (2009). "Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names". Herpetologica. 65 (2): 115–128. doi: 10.1655/08-031R1.1 . S2CID   283839.
  8. Sanchiz, B. (2012-01-01). "Nomenclatural notes on living and fossil amphibians". Graellsia.