Chuanbei Toothed Toad vs Ciliated German Pellitory

Oreolalax chuanbeiensis compared with Anacyclus ciliatus

Key Differences

• Chuanbei Toothed Toad is Endangered while Ciliated German Pellitory is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chuanbei Toothed Toad	Ciliated German Pellitory
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)
Family	Megophryidae	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Genus	Oreolalax	Anacyclus
Species	Oreolalax chuanbeiensis	Anacyclus ciliatus

Conservation Status

Chuanbei Toothed Toad

EN — Endangered

Ciliated German Pellitory

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chuanbei Toothed Toad	Ciliated German Pellitory
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chuanbei Toothed Toad

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Ciliated German Pellitory

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Chuanbei Toothed Toad

The Chuanbei Toothed Toad (Oreolalax chuanbeiensis) is an Endangered amphibian endemic to the mountains of northern Sichuan Province in southwestern China. It belongs to the family Megophryidae, a diverse group of litter frogs and toad-like amphibians that is particularly species-rich in the eastern Himalayan and southwestern Chinese highlands. The species name chuanbeiensis refers to northern Sichuan (Chuanbei), reflecting its highly restricted geographic range. Like other Oreolalax species, the Chuanbei Toothed Toad is associated with cold, fast-flowing mountain streams, where larvae develop in torrent conditions that require specialized morphological adaptations including oral suckers. Adults are terrestrial outside the breeding season, sheltering in leaf litter and rocky crevices in montane forest. The IUCN has assessed this species as Endangered due to its small known range, ongoing habitat degradation from logging, agriculture, and infrastructure development in mountain areas, and the impacts of chytridiomycosis (amphibian chytrid fungal disease) which threatens Asian megophryid frogs. Limited survey data mean that the species' full extent of occurrence and population size are poorly constrained.

Ciliated German Pellitory

Ciliated German pellitory (Anacyclus ciliatus) is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean Basin. It produces prostrate to ascending stems bearing finely divided, feathery leaves and daisy-like flower heads with white ray florets and a yellow disc. The species grows in dry, open habitats such as rocky slopes, garrigue, abandoned fields, roadsides, and coastal scrub, preferring calcareous soils with low fertility and good drainage. Its distribution spans southern Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, encompassing the core of the Mediterranean climatic zone. Anacyclus ciliatus is classified as Least Concern, with widespread populations across its native range. The genus Anacyclus includes several species with similar morphology, and its taxonomy has been subject to revision. Like many Mediterranean annuals, ciliated German pellitory completes its life cycle during the cool, wet winter and spring months, producing abundant seed before the summer drought. It is a component of traditional Mediterranean dry grassland and rocky vegetation communities. Some Anacyclus species have been investigated for medicinal properties, particularly root extracts showing anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. Conservation of Mediterranean garrigue and dry grassland habitats benefits this species alongside many other endemic plants of the region.