Common Lesser Toad

Males 60-70 mm, females 80-90 mm. The dorsum is granular in texture, and the dorsal coloration has a background of various shades of brown with irregular darker patches. The species has parotoid glands posterior to the eyes, but they are not very distinct. The belly is whitish to cream. The throat region of males is greenish yellow in the reproductive season.Juveniles of Bufo marinus are similar in general form and color to B. granulosus, but B. marinus has distinct parotoid glands behind the eyes, whereas the parotoid glands of B. granulosus are smaller and difficult to see in juveniles.

The species is most often found on the edges of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil and in large open areas.

The species is terrestrial and nocturnal. In the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke in Brazil, it reproduces in small and large ponds throughout the year, but with a peak in the wet season. Clutches contain around 900 eggs that are deposited on the surface of the water in gelatinous strings. The tadpoles are light gray and live on the bottom of ponds.

The granular toad, or common lesser toad, Rhinella granulosa, is a small nocturnal bufonid toad common throughout most of the Amazonian Basin from Panama through the Guianas, eastern Columbia, Venezuela, eastern lowland Bolivia, much of Brazil, and northern Paraguay and Argentina (not Ecuador, Peru or Uruguay). The name Rhinella granulosa probably represents a complex of several biological species. Köhler (2000) indicates that this has long been a taxonomically difficult species, with 14 species described in it as of that time, and that more distinct species are highly likely to be included in this appellation.

This terrestrial toad feeds on ants and termites, especially in open areas, savannahs, river shorelines; in forests it is found along tracks and roads.It is tolerant of disturbed habitats and can be found in urban environments.

The granular toad reproduces year round, with a peak in the wet season.It breeds explosively in permanent waterbodies and in shallow, temporary ponds and puddles, laying clutches of about 900 eggs in gelatinous strings on the top of the water.The light brown tadpoles develop in the water in about 30 days.

Males (60-70 mm, or 2.4 -2.75 inches, in body length) are smaller than females (80-90 mm; 3.1-3.5 inches).They are splotchy brown, with dorsal skin containing granular glands, belly color white or cream.

The granular toad is sometimes seen in the international pet trade.It is not listed as a threatened species.

(Silvano et al. 2010; Lima et al. 2007)

Rhinella granulosa, also known as granular toad and common lesser toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. The species was redelimited in 2009 and is now considered endemic to Brazil.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)—still using a broader definition for this species—the natural habitats of Rhinella granulosa are open areas, savanna, forests, and river shorelines. During the daytime they hide in holes in the ground. They feed on ants and termites. This adaptable species is not considered threatened.