Kingdom Animalia Order Anura Phylum Chordata | Class Amphibia Suborder Mesobatrachia Rank Superfamily | |
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Similar Archaeobatrachia, Discoglossidae, Mesobatrachia, Neobatrachia, European spadefoot | ||
The Pelobatoidea are a superfamily of frogs. They typically combine a toad-like body shape with a frog-like, pointed face (hence the German name 'Krötenfrösche', literally 'toad frogs'). Phylogenetically they stand between primitive frogs (fire-bellied toads, midwife toads) on the one side and higher frogs (the family of true toads, tree frogs, and the family of true frogs) on the other and are therefore - among other things by characteristics of bone construction - in the suborder Mesobatrachia.
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Per 2016, the Pelobatoidea contain 202 species in 11 genera and 2 families. The distribution covers Europe, North Africa and West Asia (Family Pelobatidae) and Southeast Asia (family Megophryidae). Their sister group are the Pelodytoidea, consisting of North American spadefood toads and parsley frogs.
A striking characteristic is the vertically slit pupil in daylight. The tongue is thick, circular and almost entirely adhering to the floor of the mouth. When mating the males clutches the females in the lumbar region, just before the hind legs (inguinal Amplexus).