Asian Common Toad
Duttaphrynus melanostictus
These toads are highly synanthropic, meaning they actively benefit from living near humans; they frequently gather directly under streetlights to feast on the disoriented insects that fall to the ground.
- Scientific name
- Duttaphrynus melanostictus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Amphibia › Anura › Bufonidae › Duttaphrynus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- urban
- Habitat
- Highly adaptable; thrives in urban parks, suburban gardens, agricultural areas, disturbed forest edges, and near slow-moving water bodies.
- Diet
- Opportunistic predator eating beetles, ants, termites, spiders, earthworms, and occasionally small vertebrates.
- Range
- South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Madagascar (invasive), Papua New Guinea (invasive)
- Size
- 7 to 15 cm in length, with females being notably larger than males.
- Lifespan
- 5 to 10 years in the wild
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Pesticide run-off, water pollution, road mortality (vehicle collisions), and occasional harvesting for traditional medicine.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless if left alone, but defensive. Their skin and parotoid glands secrete milky bufotoxins that are highly irritating to human skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, and potentially lethal to household pets. Observe them from a safe distance of 1-2 meters. Do not handle them. If accidental contact occurs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately, and avoid touching your face. If pets bite or lick this toad, seek veterinary care immediately.
Duttaphrynus melanostictus is commonly called Asian common toad , Asian black-spined toad , Asian toad , black-spectacled toad , common Sunda toad and Javanese toad . It is probably a complex of more than one true toad species that is widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia.
Photo: Teddy Gilbert, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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