Bufo gargarizans Cantor, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 1, 9:483, August, 1842 (type locality, island of Chusan, China).
Bufo bufo gargarizans, Stejneger, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 58:59, July 22, 1907.
Specimens examined (10).—Central National Forest, near Pup´yong-ni, 1 (KU); 5 mi. NW Choksong, near Imjin River, 1 (KU); 5 mi. E Seoul, 1 (KU); 6 mi. E Seoul, 4 (KU), 2 (UMMZ); 1 mi. S Yami-ri, 1 (KU).
Description (nine females).—Dorsal surface brownish, having indistinct pale areas, some of which tend to form longitudinal stripes that extend pos
teriorly from parotoid glands; blackish mark, usually on lateral part of parotoid, having short spurs directed posteriorly and ventrally; edge of upper jaw and warts on dorsal surface becoming blackish with increasing size; small, conspicuous group of warts near angle of jaw below parotoid; middorsal warts tending, at level of posterior edge of parotoids, to form a V that has its apex between the parotoids; ventral surface pale yellowish, sometimes having well-defined blackish marks; granular underparts of large specimens having small blackish tubercles.
Male (KU 40118 from 5 mi. E Seoul).—Snout-vent length, 65; no vocal sacs or slits; dorsal and inner surfaces of first and second fingers, and inner surface of third finger black; canthus rostralis indistinct (a well-defined ridge on right side); nostrils closer to tip of snout than to eye, their distance from each other slightly less than interorbital width; interorbital width (6.2) greater than width of eyelid (4.7); tympanum distinct, circular, its diameter (3.0) less than length of eye (6.5), and approximately twice distance (1.6) of tympanum from eye; no cranial crests; parotoid gland elongate, approximately twice as long as broad (12.5 × 5.0), narrowly separated from posterior edge of eyelid; head elongate (width at posterior edge of tympanum, 23.6); length from posterior edge of tympanum to tip of upper jaw, 18.9; first finger slightly longer than second, fourth finger about two-thirds as long as third; most subarticular tubercles divided; outer palmar tubercle larger than inner; heels not touching when folded legs placed at right angles to longitudinal axis of body; tibiotarsal articulation just reaching eye when leg laid forward; tarsometatarsal articulation not reaching beyond snout; foot large (tibiotarsal articulation to tip of fourth toe approximately 46.0); fourth toe approximately half webbed, other toes more than half webbed; edges of webs somewhat crenulate; some subarticular tubercles divided; length of inner metatarsal tubercle (4.5) more than half length of first toe (7.0); inner metatarsal tubercle larger than outer, both darkened; tarsal fold extending from inner metatarsal tubercle for approximately two-thirds length of tarsus; tips of toes (not fingers) darkened; dorsal surface of back and proximal part of hind legs coarsely granular, of rounded, pavement-type tubercles lacking sharp tips; small group of warts near angle of jaw below parotoids; dorsal pattern contrasting and irregular (especially on limbs), of dark brown and pale gray; conspicuous black mark (interrupted) on lateral surface of parotoid having two, well-defined spurs that project posteroventrally; undersurface granular, lacking markings except for two indistinctly-margined dark spots on chest, and black spot on left leg.
Remarks.—This nocturnal, introduced species (Okada, 1931:47) is presumably widespread in Korea and seemingly prefers lowland habitats. Individuals were taken in sparse vegetation on a sand flat near the Han River, at the edge of a rice field in a light rain, along a road at night, and in millet fields adjacent to the Han River, which was flooding at that time (July 9).
As is obvious from the foregoing descriptions, the male (KU 40118), which was obtained on March 19, differs considerably from the nine females; neither does it agree with Stejneger's (1907:66)
or Okada's (op. cit.:45-46, fig. 18) description of males of Bufo bufo asiaticus [=gargarizans] from Wonsan and Seoul. Upon cursory examination, KU 40118 is notable for having a contrasting dorsal pattern and elongate, ranidlike proportions. Some of the characteristics resemble those of Bufo raddei Strauch as given by Stejneger (op. cit.:70-72, figs. 53-57), Okada (1935:9, figs. 2 and 32-34, pls. II-III), and Liu (1950:203-205, fig. 43).
Stejneger (op. cit.:59-68) recognized B. b. gargarizans as occurring in southern China, and Bufo bufo asiaticus as the subspecies occurring in northern China. Subsequently, asiaticus was relegated to synonymy under the earlier-named gargarizans—see discussions by Pope and Boring (1940:33) and Liu (op. cit.:220).