Toads can be very easily identified by the presence of warty skin, which give them a dry appearance, unlike the frogs. Toads are more inclined to live and forage on land and do not venture freely into water like frogs do. The toads are comparatively heavy and slow moving. Therefore they have developed some anti-predatory defense mechanisms. The toads have a paratoid gland on the supra-tympanic region, which secretes poison potent enough to defend itself from would-be predators. Three genera Ansonia, Pedostibes and Bufo occur. An * indicates endemic species.

The genus Ansonia STOLICZKA, 1870 is small sized toads that have a colourful underside, a defensive colouration to warn predators. This toad lacks cranial ridges and paratoid glands. They are commonly called torrent toads. Two species occur in southern India. Recently one more species has been described from Maharashtra.

Ansonia ornata* GÜNTHER, 1875
Ansonia rubiginia* PILLAI and PATTABIRAMAN, 1981

The genus Pedostibes GÜNTHER, 1875 constitutes the tree toad, and is called so due to its arboreal character. One species occur in southern India, it is endemic to Western Ghats below Goa gap (14’N lat.)
Pedostibes tuberculosus* GÜNTHER, 1875

The genus Bufo LAURENTI, 1768 (=Duttaphrynus FROST, D.R., GRANT, T., FAIVOVICH, J., BAIN, H.R., HASS, A., HADDAD, C.F.B., DE SÁ, R.O., CHANNING, A., WILKINSON, M., DONNELLAN, S.C., RAXWORTHY, C.J., CAMPBELL, J.A., BLOTTO, B.L., MOLER, P., DREWES, R.C., NUSSBAUM, R.A., LYNCH, J.D., GREEN, D.M. & WHEELER, W.C. 2006) comprises of the true toads or typical toads. It is a widespread genus of which several species are known. But the validity for most species is still under question, due to lack of further collections after the holotype or a stabilized paratype. This plight holds true for more than half the species that are endemic to Western Ghats. Precise specimens have been obtained for endemic species like B. beddomii, B. parietalis & B. microtympanum. Others need to be revised & re-validated.

Bufo beddomii* GÜNTHER, 1875
B. melanostictus SCHNEIDER, 1799
B. brevirostris* RAO, 1937
B. hololius* GÜNTHER, 1875
B. koynaensis* SOMAN, 1963
B. microtympanum* BOULENGER, 1882
B. parietalis BOULENGER, 1882
B. scaber (= fergusonii) BOULENGER, 1892
B. silentvalleyensis* PILLAI, 1982
B. stomaticus LÜTKEN, 1862