Common Sunda Toad vs Leatherback Sea Turtle

Duttaphrynus melanostictus compared with Dermochelys coriacea

Key Differences

• Common Sunda Toad is Least Concern while Leatherback Sea Turtle is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Sunda Toad	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Amphibia (Amphibians)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Anura (Frogs & Toads)	Testudines (Turtles & Tortoises)
Family	Bufonidae	Cheloniidae (Sea Turtles)
Genus	Duttaphrynus	Chelonia (Green Sea Turtles)
Species	Duttaphrynus melanostictus	Dermochelys coriacea

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Sunda Toad and Leatherback Sea Turtle share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Common Sunda Toad

LC — Least Concern

Leatherback Sea Turtle

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~35.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Sunda Toad	Leatherback Sea Turtle
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	2.0 m
Average Weight	—	500.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Sunda Toad

Habitat

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

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Madagascar), Asia (4 countries), and Europe (Spain).

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Indomalayan and Neotropic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Common Sunda Toad

<em>Duttaphrynus melanostictus</em>, the common Sunda toad, is an amphibian in the family Bufonidae, order Anura. It has a wide natural distribution across South and Southeast Asia, ranging from Pakistan and India through to southern China, the Malay Peninsula, and the Indonesian archipelago, and has also been introduced to Madagascar. The species typically inhabits a broad range of environments including urban areas, agricultural land, forest edges, gardens, and disturbed habitats, demonstrating remarkable adaptability to human-modified landscapes. <em>Duttaphrynus melanostictus</em> is characterized by prominent parotoid glands behind the eyes that secrete toxic compounds serving as a defense against predators, a feature shared with other true toads. It is an opportunistic carnivore, feeding on a variety of invertebrates including insects, worms, and small arthropods. Biological traits including average lifespan under natural conditions, typical body measurements, and specific breeding parameters remain poorly documented. The species is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, reflecting its extensive range and high tolerance for habitat modification, though introduced populations in Madagascar represent a potentially invasive concern.

Leatherback Sea Turtle

The leatherback is the largest living turtle and the fourth-heaviest reptile. Unlike other turtles, it has a soft, leathery shell.