The common Surinam toad, also called the Suriname toad or star-fingered toad, is a fully aquatic species of frog in the family Pipidae, with a wide range across much of tropical South America and the island of Trinidad. Females of the species are known for incubating their eggs on their backs, in honeycomb-like depressions within the skin, releasing fully formed froglets after four to five months, and the species is an ambush predator that lies in wait underwater before using suction feeding to swiftly inhale unsuspecting prey. Its flat body shape and dark, dull coloration camouflage it in the murky waters it inhabits, mimicking a dead leaf or piece of rotting wood as it awaits its next meal.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceExceptionally flat body with a broad, flat, triangular head and no tongue 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Scientific Name Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
River, Biomes Source Common Surinam toad - Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Common Surinam toad - Wikipedia
Scientific classification box
Pipa pipa
Infobox: status
LC
Description
The species has an exceptionally depressed body, almost entirely flat and with a broad, flat, triangular head, without a tongue.
Diet
The species is an omnivorous ambush hunter.
In Biome: River, Habitat and distribution
The Surinam toad inhabits warm, acidic, murky and slow-moving to still waterways, including streams, backwaters, ponds and seasonal pools after localized flooding; these rich waters often have a low pH due to a high concentration of organic matter and tannins.
View the Source2. GBIF Species API
3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Surinam Toad
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyEconomic Importance for HumansQuote, Economic Importance for Humans
they sometimes consume harmful insects
View the Source 4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Amphibia
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 31Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 31
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Chordata","class":"Amphibia","order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Anfibios","language":"ES"},{"name":"Amphibiens","language":"FR"},{"name":"Amphibians","language":"EN"},{"name":"两栖纲","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
View the Source Wikidata: Surinam Toad
WikidataWikidata Q220414, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Anura
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 83Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 83
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Chordata","class":"Amphibia","order":"Anura","family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"无尾目","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
View the Source Catalogue of Life
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