American Toad vs Common Dodder

Anaxyrus americanus compared with Cuscuta gronovii

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	American Toad	Common Dodder
Kingdom	Animalia (동물)	Plantae (식물)
Phylum	Chordata (척삭동물)	Magnoliophyta (피자식물문)
Class	Amphibia (양서류)	Magnoliopsida (목련강)
Order	Anura (개구리목)	Solanales (가지목)
Family	Bufonidae	Convolvulaceae
Genus	Anaxyrus	Cuscuta
Species	Anaxyrus americanus	Cuscuta gronovii

Conservation Status

American Toad

LC — Least Concern

Common Dodder

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	American Toad	Common Dodder
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Toad

Habitat

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

Range

Found in United States.

Common Dodder

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (11 countries) and North America (United States).

American Toad

The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is a species in the genus Anaxyrus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Common Dodder

<em>Cuscuta gronovii</em>, the common dodder, is a parasitic annual vine in the family Convolvulaceae. This species is distributed across eleven European countries as well as the United States, where it typically inhabits diverse terrestrial environments including wetland margins, roadsides, thickets, and disturbed vegetation. Unlike most plants, <em>Cuscuta gronovii</em> lacks chlorophyll and is entirely dependent on host plants for water and nutrients, which it extracts through specialized structures called haustoria. The common dodder typically has slender, twining orange or yellowish stems and produces small, clustered white or pale pink flowers in late summer. It often parasitizes a broad range of host species, including many herbaceous and shrubby plants. Once attached to a host, it typically sheds its connection to the soil and relies entirely on the host for sustenance. The species is assessed as Least Concern, reflecting its wide distribution and ability to colonize disturbed habitats. Its parasitic life history makes it ecologically notable among flowering plants.