African Tree Toad

Quick Take

• This tiny toad carries a secret weapon in its skin that humans have been harvesting for centuries, and it treats far more conditions than you'd expect. Skin uses and harvesting →
• It hides in plain sight all day, then completely changes its survival strategy after dark. The switch turns out to be more clever than camouflage alone. Nighttime survival strategy →
• Its feet seem built for water, yet this toad spends most of its life doing something else entirely. Webbed feet explained →
• The male guards the nest until a very specific moment, after which he abandons the young completely. Male guarding behavior →

The African tree toad is a small toad in the family Bufonidae, in the order Anura. Its habitat is the tropical and subtropical lowland forests of West and Central Africa. Its color is a combination of brown, black, white, and tan. Although it is not a vulnerable species, it can suffer from local habitat loss.

4 Incredible African Tree Toad Facts

• The African Tree Toad is a true toad, which means it is a tailless amphibian similar to a frog but more terrestrial and having drier, warty skin.
• It has long, thin, webbed feet for its semi-aquatic, tree-dwelling lifestyle.
• It can shoot its long, sticky tongue out to catch prey at lightning speed.
• It can reach a top speed of 5 mph.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the African tree toad is Nectophryne afra. There are only two species in the Nectophryne genus: the African tree toad and the Bates’s tree toad (Nectophryne batesii).

This genus is part of the Bufonidae family in which all the members are true toads. There are 35 genera in the family Bufonidae.

It is the only family in the order Anura in which all members are toads, although some may be called frogs (e.g., the harlequin frog). Otherwise, the order Anura, an order of short-bodied tailless amphibians, has a mix of frogs and toads.

Appearance

These toads have a camouflaging array of colors: brown, black, white, and tan. Its small body is generally dark to light brown, with patches of white on its belly. This combination allows it to hide from predators in the grass as well as in trees. It also has long legs with long, thin webbed toes with round discs at the ends to enable it to climb and hop, while the partial webbing and wide toe separation enable it to get a strong grip on wide surface areas. Size-wise, it grows anywhere from 2.5 cm to 3.8 cm (1 inch to 1.5 inches) in length and 2 g to 5 g (0.07 oz to 0.18 oz) in weight. Classification of the two subspecies is based on geographic location; otherwise, they are of similar color and size.

Behavior

These toads are terrestrial (land-dwelling) and semi-aquatic by day, finding food and water on the ground outside of the breeding season, when they spend most of their time in water. Their tiny size and camouflage make them difficult to spot on the forest floor. They use their partially webbed feet to hop and climb. At night, they use their camouflage and climbing ability to hide up high in the trees away from predators. They have solitary lifestyles.

Habitat

Both species of African tree toads have an amphibious, semi-aquatic lifestyle, so they prefer to live in the moist and tropical or subtropical climate of lowland forests or heavily degraded former forests with small bodies of freshwater.

The habitat range of the African tree toad is West and Central Africa, extending from southwestern Nigeria through Cameroon to Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko), Gabon, and the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Bates’s tree toad is found anywhere from southern Cameroon to southwestern Gabon through the southwestern Central African Republic to the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Both species suffer from habitat loss due to deforestation and pollution of air and water, currently restricting them to tall forests.

Diet

These toads are carnivores. They shoot out their long sticky tongues at lightning-fast speeds to catch prey. Additionally, they can move at a top speed of 5 mph (8 km/h).

Like other toads, African tree toads are predators. They lie quietly in wait to catch their prey. They then use their tongues to catch spiders, worms, snails, and other small invertebrates and insects.

Predators and Threats

These toads are preyed upon by birds, fish, snakes, lizards, rodents, and larger toads and frogs.

Besides natural predators, these toads are sought after by humans for the exotic pet trade and for the toxins secreted by their permeable skin and parotid glands that, along with bone and muscle tissue, have medicinal uses. Of the 47 frog and toad species used in traditional medicine, 15 belong to the family Bufonidae, providing remedies for conditions ranging from infections, bites, allergies, and inflammation to pain, heart disorders, cancer, and AIDS. Preservation of the species means preserving its toxins for medicinal use.

Although it is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, it still suffers from habitat loss and may compete with other toad species for food. Currently, it is restricted to living in taller forests.

Reproduction, Babies, and Lifespan

These toads breed during the spring, either in tree cavities containing water or plant-filled water hollows. The female lays an average of 100 eggs, but possibly up to 200 eggs, after which the male guards the spawning site until the eggs hatch into tadpoles, which takes 6 to 21 days. After the tadpoles develop into young toads, they leave the nest to hunt on their own. Their lifespan is 3 to 5 years in captivity, while their lifespan in the wild is unknown.

Population

These toads are known to have a wide habitat range, with groups of small populations throughout. While their exact numbers are unknown and they suffer from habitat loss, they are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

In the Zoo

These toads are found in a number of national parks, including the Korup National Park, which is on the border of Cameroon and Nigeria; Monte Alén National Park, which is near the center of Equatorial Guinea in central Africa; and Virunga National Park, which is in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The national parks exist as reserved areas to provide natural biodiversity for several flora and fauna species, unlike zoos, which keep animals in special enclosures with artificial habitats. Korup National Park, for example, has never been logged, and so serves as a protected habitat for the African tree toad.