On Bufo pantherinus A. Smith, 1828 (Anura: Bufonidae), the leopard toad of the southwestern Cape, South Africa, with the designation of a neotype

Abstract

The leopard toad of the southwestern tip of Africa has appeared under the names Bufo pantherinus, Bufo cruciger, Bufo regularis and Bufo pardalis. This paper examines the nomenclatural confusion and proposes a neotype of B. pantherinus A. Smith, 1828, to provide stability. The specimen selected as neotype has a record of being handled by Smith, although Smith did not designate type material. This southwestern Cape toad is regarded as being specifically distinct from the very similar B. pardalis Hewitt of southeast Africa, and is not assignable to the B. regularis complex of African toads. Bufo cruciger Schmidt is considered to be a synonym of B. pantherinus Smith.