True Toads of Zihuatanejo

CENTRAL AMERICAN TOADS

• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Amphibians (Class Amphibia)

• Frogs and Toads (Order Anura)

• True Toads (Family Bufonidae)

• Genus Incilius

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Genus Incilius is a genus of true toads belonging to the family Bufonidae, distributed primarily throughout Mexico, Central America, and parts of the southern United States. Members of this genus are generally medium- to large-sized toads characterized by robust bodies, short limbs, dry warty skin, and prominent parotoid glands behind the eyes that secrete defensive toxins. Incilius species inhabit a variety of environments, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, dry woodlands, grasslands, and desert regions. They are mainly terrestrial and nocturnal, emerging at night to feed on insects and other small invertebrates. Reproduction typically occurs during the rainy season, when adults congregate at ponds, streams, or temporary pools to breed and lay long strings of eggs.

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​The Marbled Toad (Incilius marmoreus) is one of only two species of Toads documented in the Zihuatanejo area. It is the only species of genus Incilius found in Zihua.