AmphibiaWeb - Bufotes latastii


Bufotes latastii (Boulenger, 1882) Ladakh Toad	family: Bufonidae genus: Bufotes
Species Description: Boulenger, G. A. (1882). "Catalogue of the Batrachia Salientia s. Ecaudata in the Collection of the British Museum." Second Edition. London: Taylor and Francis.
Taxonomic Notes: This is a diploid species thought to have been involved in the origin of B. baturae by hybridization with B. shaartusiensis (see several publications by Stoeck and coauthors: Evolution 2006 Mol Phyl Evo, 2010 Evol, 2012 PRSB, 2015 Heredity, 2015 J Biog.).

Conservation Status (definitions)

IUCN Red List Status Account	Least Concern (LC)
CITES	No CITES Listing
National Status	Restricted, Baltistan, Kashmir
Regional Status	rare

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Description
Head flat, without bony ridges. Interorbital space narrower than upper eyelid.Tympanum distinct, half the diameter of eye. Toes with double subarticular tubercles. Parotoid kidney shaped. Snout vent length 50-62 mm.Color: Dorsum olive, spotted or marbled with black, a light vertebral band, ventrum more or less spotted, tips of digits black.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Afghanistan, India, Pakistan

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Dubois and Martens (1977) extensively collected B. latastii Boulenger, from Nepal, Ladakh, Kashmir and northern Indian Punjab, which earlier reports identified as B. viridis (Steindachner 1867; Stoliczka 1872a; Anderson 1872). In Pakistan this toad has been recorded from Ladakh in Baltistan between 2600 to 3000 m of elevation.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Tadpole: Dark brown, oval bulging body, weaker tail with low fins; inhabit small pools with vegetation. The tadpole has typical bufonid labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3, and feeds on pond vegetation. Total length 25-27 mm, tail 17-19 mm.

Trends and Threats
Pollution

Relation to Humans
Extends in human inhabitations, and agriculture area, feeding on insects and their larvae

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Urbanization
Local pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants

Comments

For references in the text, see here

References

Anderson, J. (1872). ''On some Persian, Himalayan and other reptiles.'' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1872, 417-498.

Steindachner, F. (1867). ''Amphibien.'' Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859. Zoologischer Theil. Vol.1, Part 4. B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair, eds., Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, 1-70.

Stoliczka, F. (1872). ''Observation on some Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia.'' Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, 39, 134-228.

Originally submitted by: M. S. Khan (first posted 2002-03-19)
Edited by: Vance T. Vredenburg (2002-05-24)

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2002 Bufotes latastii: Ladakh Toad <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/218> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jan 27, 2025.

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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 27 Jan 2025.

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