Harlequin Frogs True Toads and Relatives: Bufonidae

True toads, harlequin frogs, and their relatives make their homes for most of the year in a variety of habitats from wet or dry forests to fields, and even some dry deserts. They can survive in very warm, tropical areas, as well as cooler places with snowy winter seasons. They do not live in far northern North America or northern Asia, but some exist without problem high on windswept or snow-capped mountains that are up to 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) above sea level. The vast majority of toads are terrestrial (te-REH-stree-uhl), which means they live on land. Examples of terrestrial toads include the American toad, the marine toad, and the Houston toad.

Only a few true toads climb and live in trees or spend most of their time in the water. One of the toads that is arboreal (ar-BOR-ee-ul), which means that it lives in trees, is the brown tree toad of Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia, and Thailand, which are all in southeastern Asia. Using the wide pads on the tips of its toes to help it cling to twigs and branches, this toad usually stays in the trees except during mating season, when it enters streams. The aquatic swamp toad, on the other hand, is aquatic (uh-QUOT-ik), which means that it usually remains in the water. This large toad, which also lives in parts of southeastern Asia, has full webbing between its toes to help it swim.