Climbing behavior of Rhinella icterica (Spix, 1824) (Anura, Bufonidae): A typically terrestrial toad being scansorial

Abstract

Toads of the Family Bufonidae do present diversified life histories, most of them are terrestrial, but there are aquatic and arboreal species. Rhinella icterica (Spix, 1824) (Anura, Bufonidae) is a ground dweller bufonid that use the habitat mainly horizontally. Here, we report the occurrence of climbing behavior in R. icterica, adding knowledge with respect to its types of locomotion. The individual was found on the ground and when perceived the presence of the observer it jumped to a wall, hit it, fell back to the ground, and then started to climb the wall. The toad climbed slowly, but apparently without difficulty, since it went up without slipping until the top of the ravine. Performing a given locomotor behavior even rarely confer additional ability to evade from threats and to access otherwise inaccessible food and spatial resources. Whether this behavior is common or rare in the genus is still obscure, nevertheless, at least some typically terrestrial species of Rhinella are capable of climbing and, as R. icterica, use the habitat vertically.