Zadik, J. and J. W. Gibbons. 2026. From Catesby’s Land Frog to Anaxyrus terrestris: Reevaluating the Type Specimen of the Southern Toad. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 20(2):13–20.
The Southern Toad, Anaxyrus terrestris (Bonnaterre, 1789), is an abundant anuran in the coastal plains of the southeastern United States. Their short limbs and thick, warty skin make them well adapted to a terrestrial lifestyle, earning them their species name. Yet, the taxonomic origin of the epithet presents problems.
Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre officially described the species Rana terrestris in 1789. His official description referenced an account and illustration titled “Rana terrestris” published by Mark Catesby in Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands (Vol. 2, Part 9, Plate 69). Bonnaterre’s use of Catesby’s account designated it the type specimen for Anaxyrus terrestris, making Catesby’s “Rana terrestris” the definitive reference for this species.
Type specimens are usually museum or herbarium specimens, but in some cases, naturalists’ illustrations serve this purpose, including many of Catesby’s depictions. In most cases, Catesby’s accounts provide enough detail to serve effectively as type specimens, but the ambiguous nature of “Rana terrestris” is problematic and calls into question its suitability for serving this role. Arguably, “Rana terrestris” inaccurately represents Anaxyrus terrestris and likely depicts a different species altogether. We do not intend to suggest a name change for the species but aim to highlight the flaws in Catesby’s print as representative of Anaxyrus terrestris and discuss the nuances of referencing historical naturalist accounts.
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