Classification 



Family III. Bufonida 



The Bufonidae includes batrachians differing greatly from 

 one another in appearance. They always have parotoids, and 

 the ear is fully developed. But they may be short and stout 

 or quite the opposite, rough and dry-skinned or smooth and slimy. 

 In habit of life they may be terrestrial, burrowing, aquatic, or 

 even arboreal. 



The family includes eight genera, with many more than a 

 hundred species, but, curiously enough, one of the genera, Bufo, 

 includes all but fifteen of these species. The Bufonidae is the 

 most nearly cosmopolitan of all the families in its distribution; 

 Madagascar, Papuasia, and the small islands of the Pacific, are 

 the only regions not possessing representatives. The greatest 

 number of genera is found in Central America ; the greatest number 

 of species, mainly Bufo, of course, occur in Central and South 

 America. The genus Bufo is lacking in the Australian region. 



Bufo is the only genus of the family found in North America, 

 but this genus has thirteen species and a few allied subspecies. 

 Texas has the greatest number of these species. (See p. 63.) 



Family IV. Hylidce 



This family embraces the arboreal Salientia, or Tree Frogs. 

 It is most nearly related to the Bufonidae, and is, next to the 

 Ranidae, the largest family of the Salientia. 



The tree frogs are relatively small in size and are often green 

 in colour. The ends of the fingers and toes are provided with 

 adhesive disks, by means of which the creatures climb with great 

 skill. They have large resonating pouches, and voices that are 

 surprisingly loud when compared with the small size of the singers. 



Their distribution is cosmopolitan, with the exception of 

 the African region. The rich forests of Central and South America 

 have the largest number of representatives of the family some 

 one hundred thirty species; Australia has about thirty species 

 and North America fifteen. In the rest of the world, six species 

 only are represented. Of the North American species, ten 

 are members of the genus Hyla; the others belong to Acris, Cho- 

 rophilus, and Smilisca. (Refer to p. 1 17.) 



Family V . Cyslighaihidce 



The old family of the Cystignathidae is nearly as large as the 

 Hylidae. It is not well defined, but overlaps in its characteristics 



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