Smooth-sided Toad

Rhaebo guttatus (also called Bufo guttatus)

A big, mottled brown South American forest toad with unusually smooth skin and powerful toxin glands.

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About the Smooth-sided Toad

Smooth-sided toads can reach 9 inches long. They are mottled brown, which hides them on the forest floor, and their skin is smoother than most toads' because their poison glands aren't as bumpy. They live in forests of northern South America, including Ecuador, Colombia, the Guianas, Brazil and Venezuela. They eat insects and small mammals.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Rhaebo guttatus (also called Bufo guttatus)^[1][2]
Size: Up to 9 inches long.^[1]
Lifespan: Up to 10 years in human care.^[1]
Diet: Insects and small mammals.^[1]
Habitat: Tropical forest floor.^[1]
Where it lives: Northern South America.^[1]
Group life: Active day and night.^[1]
Babies: Eggs and tadpoles develop in water.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2021).^[2]

Fun facts

Its toxins can cause heart failure in predators.^[1]
Adults sometimes dig their own breeding pools.^[1]
It is one of the few toads with smooth skin.^[1]

Vocabulary

parotid gland: A gland behind a toad's eye that makes toxins.
toxin: A poison made by a living thing.
amphibian: A cold-blooded animal, such as a frog or salamander, that usually starts life in water and has moist skin.
camouflage: Colors or patterns that help an animal blend in.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Smithsonian's National ZooWashington, D.C. · AmazoniaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “Smooth-sided toad.” https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/smooth-sided-toad (accessed 2026-10-08)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Rhaebo guttatus (Spotted Toad).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/88990965/85865179 (accessed 2026-10-08)