Swat Green Toad

This toad has wide range in north and northwestern pakistan. it has been recornized in several subspecies which are said to be having triploid chromosomes. Bufo pseudoraddei pseudoraddei is recognized from Bufo viridis by its dorsal body color and pattern. Color: The dorsum is dark green with a light vertebral stripe and lighter spots on flanks. Limbs are with large dark blotches. Dorsal tubercles are not so prominent, rather they are flat. Recently Stock et al. (1999) gave independent specific rank Bufo pseudoraddei to this toad, since it differs from Bufo viridis and Bufo latastii in its shorter parotids, color pattern, and open habiat ecology within the zone of Himalayan coniferous forests and moist temperate forests.A new taxon Bufo pseudoraddei baturae has recently been described from northeastern Pakistan. It inhabits marginal vegetation along torrents in the glacier-ridden part of Pakistan. In this subspecies parotid glands are inconspicuous; interorbital space is smaller or nearly equal the internarial space; subarticular tubercles single under toes; often double on first, second and in some third finger.Color: Dorsum grayishgreen or grayishbrown, with irregular dark green spottings, mostly smaller or about the size of the eye. Spots partially connected to form a marbled pattern with indentated margins. In male brownish or grayish irregular spots at extremities.For references in the text, see here Khan recognizes two subspecies for Bufo pseudoraddei, they are: Bufo pseudoraddei pseudoraddei and Bufo pseudoraddei baturae . In this species account, the descriptions are shown seperately (added by V. Vredenburg).

DISTRIBUTION: Distribution: So far, Bufo pseudoraddei pseudoraddei has been collected from Mingora, and Swat in Pakistan. Eiselt and Schmidtler (1973) include the high mountains of eastern Afghanistan and the northwestern mountains of Pakistan in its range. While Bufo pseudoraddei baturae is distributed: Passu, Swat, Karakoram Range, Gilgit Agency, Baltistan, Pakistan.

LIFE_HISTORY: Dark brown tadpoles swarm the water-land interface in side pools along streams and torrents. They feed on pond vegetation and other detritus deposited on the submerged objects. The tadpole has a typical bufonid globular body, a short tail with low fins, with same morphology of oral disc and tooth row formula. Total length of tadpole 23 mm, tail 16 mm.

In the areas where agricultural activity takes place, the use of fertilizers and pesticides do affact the eggs and tadpoles of these toads. The these bufonids are confined and restricted to narrow valleys, where inbreeding occurs.

Agriculture activity in the valleys has helped in habitat creation for these toads and their wider distribution.

Bufotes pseudoraddei (Batura toad, Batura Glacier toad, or Swat green toad) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is found in the West Himalayan region, including northern Pakistan and the border area between western Xizang of China and adjacent northwestern India. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pastureland, plantations, and rural gardens.