File:Pipa_pipa01.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Species
Least Concernvia IUCN
Wikidata facts
Show 10 more facts
- taxon rank
- species
- IUCN conservation status
- Least Concern
- Commons category
- Pipa pipa
- taxon name
- Pipa pipa
- Commons gallery
- Pipa pipa
- taxon common name
- Surinam Toad
- short name
- P. pipa
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
- taxon range
- Venezuela
- external data available at URL
- www.gbif.org/dataset/7eabb3cb-039d-4906-b7a4-6de4d0d47294
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~11 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The common Surinam toad, the Suriname toad, or star-fingered toad (Pipa pipa), is a fully-aquatic species of frog, in the family Pipidae, with a widespread range across much of tropical South America and the island of Trinidad. The females of this species are well-known for "incubating" their eggs on their backs, in honeycomb-like depressions directly within the skin, releasing fully-formed froglets after a period of 4–5 months. Pipa pipa is an ambush predator, lying in-wait underwater for prey to inevitably wander too close, swiftly inhaling the unsuspecting creature using suction feeding. Additionally, the Surinam toad's rather flat body shape, combined with rather dark, dull coloration, serves as effective camouflage in the murky waters they inhabit, perfectly mimicking a dead leaf or piece of rotting wood as they await their next meal.
Description
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Surinam toad” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.