Bleeding toad
Bleeding toad | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Bufonidae |
Genus: | Leptophryne |
Species: | L. cruentata |
Binomial name | |
Leptophryne cruentata (Tschudi, 1838) | |
Synonyms | |
Bufo cruentatus Tschudi, 1838 |
The bleeding toad, fire toad or Indonesian tree toad (Leptophryne cruentata) is a species of true toad in the amphibian family Bufonidae, endemic to Java, Indonesia. L. javanica was, formerly, synonymous with the bleeding toad prior to its description as a distinct species in 2018, although the degree of differentiation between these species is low. The bleeding toad is listed as a critically endangered species due to a drastic population decline. The factors behind this decline are unclear, but appear consistent (despite ambiguous observations) with the global spread of chytrid fungus, a particularly lethal fungal spore for frogs and toads; once infected, the animals develop a condition known as chytridiomycosis before ultimately dying. it is estimated there are less than 250 individuals of the species.