Amphibians
Asiatic Toad
Bufo gargarizans · also called Chusan toad
Across much of East Asia, the Asiatic toad has long occupied a role beyond its ordinary place in the forest ecosystem, its defensive skin secretions collected and dried for use in traditional Chinese medicine, giving this common, warty-skinned amphibian an economic significance most toads never achieve.
Overview
The Asiatic toad, Bufo gargarizans, is a widespread and highly adaptable amphibian native to a broad range of habitats across East Asia. Its long-standing role in traditional Chinese medicine has made it one of the more economically notable toad species in the world.
A toad with a dual role
Beyond its ordinary ecological function eating insects and breeding in still water, the Asiatic toad carries a distinct cultural and economic significance tied directly to the same defensive secretions it produces to protect itself from predators.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable habitat throughout East Asia.
Asiatic Toad: common questions
Why is the Asiatic toad important in traditional Chinese medicine?
The Asiatic toad has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine, with its dried skin secretions, known as chan su, processed into remedies used for a variety of traditional treatments, making it one of the more economically significant toad species collected for this specific purpose anywhere in the world.
Are Asiatic toad skin secretions the same as their traditional medicine use?
Yes, like many toads, an Asiatic toad produces defensive skin secretions from parotoid glands as natural protection against predators, and it is these same secretions that have historically been collected and processed into chan su for traditional medicinal preparations.
How adaptable is the Asiatic toad to different habitats?
The Asiatic toad is a highly adaptable species capable of living across a broad range of habitats, including forest, grassland, farmland, and areas close to human settlement, a flexibility that has helped it remain widespread and common across much of its extensive East Asian range.
Where is the Asiatic toad found?
The Asiatic toad is native to a broad range of habitats across East Asia, including large parts of China, Korea, and Russia's far east, where it breeds in still or slow-moving water bodies such as ponds, ditches, and slow streams during the spring.