FAMILY VI. ENGYSTOMATID^E.^ 



THE NARROW-MOUTHED TOAD 

 Engystoma carolinense Holbrook 



Identification Characteristics 



Colour: General colour may be black, brown, or grey. Usu- 

 ally the head and two oblique bands extending from the eyes 

 to the posterior part of the body are bright brown (red or orange 

 in tone). These brown bands are bordered with black above. 

 The space on the back between these bands (narrow in front, 

 broad posteriorly) is grey or dull brown, speckled with black. 

 Sides of head, neck and body grey, finely spotted with black. 

 Arms and legs bright brown. Leg crossed by two closely- 

 placed narrow black bands, or spotted irregularly with black. 

 Underparts lighter than sides, although completely sprinkled with 

 small black spots. Throat of male black. (For colouration, see 

 Colour Plate II and Figs. 189 to 192.) 



Measurements: Very small, i. e. length of male \ to \\ inches; 

 female somewhat larger. Legs short, tibia slightly longer than 

 femur. (Fig. 190.) Length of leg to heel not exceeding length 

 of body forward to arm insertion. 



Structure: Body broad, head pointed, obtuse at the end 

 of the muzzle and extremely small. The upper jaw projects 

 over the lower. The angles of the jaw are under the posterior 

 part of the eye. Skin relatively smooth, or with minute tuber- 

 cles distributed evenly over head, back, and legs. (Fig. 192.) 

 A fold of skin extends across the head back of the eyes. 

 (Fig. 192.) Eyes small and bead-like. Ear not visible. Arms 

 slender; legs stout. Toes slender, not webbed. Fourth toe con- 

 spicuously longer than the others. Inner sole tubercle small; 

 outer lacking. (Fig. 189.) Tubercles under toe and finger-joints 

 relatively conspicuous. 



Range: South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida westward to 

 western Texas, northward into Missouri and southern Illinois.* 



1 Refer to pp. 8, lo and 48. 



^ Micanopy, Clarcona, Lake Jessup, Little Sarasota Bay, Fla.; Charleston, S. C; Raleigh, 

 N. C; Columbus and Riceborough, Ga,; New Madrid, Mo.; Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Helotes, 

 Fort Concho, and Hitchcock, Tex 



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