Berber toad
Berber toad (Sclerophrys mauritanica), also known as the Mauritanian, Moroccan, pantherine, or Moorish toad, is a large toad in the Bufonidae family. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
It grows to about 13–15 cm long. Its back is beige to olive with large orange or red spots, and its belly is white with small grey spots. Color varies by location, from brown and reddish-brown to olive, orange, or sandy.
This species lives in northwestern Africa—Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and parts of Western Sahara—and has been introduced to southern Spain near Los Alcornocales close to Algeciras. It uses a range of habitats, including dry cork oak forests, dry shrubland, rivers and marshes, farmland, plantations, and urban areas. It can be found up to about 2,650 meters in the Atlas Mountains.
Breeding occurs in fresh or brackish still or slow-moving water. Females lay about 5,000–10,000 eggs.
During the day, adults hide under rocks or in tunnels.
Taxonomy note: it was originally placed in Bufo, moved to Amietophrynus, and then to Sclerophrys; Amietophrynus is now considered a synonym of Sclerophrys.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:41 (CET).