What is the scientific name of the cane toad?

The scientific name of the cane toad is Rhinella marina.

This large true toad is native to South and mainland Central America, but people introduced it to places including Australia, the Caribbean and Pacific islands. It became notorious in Australia after releases intended to control beetles damaging sugar cane failed to contain the population.

The name has a taxonomic history. Carl Linnaeus originally described the animal in 1758, and it was long widely known as Bufo marinus. Modern classification places it in Rhinella, producing the currently accepted combination Rhinella marina. The feminine ending agrees with the grammatical gender of Rhinella.

“Marine toad” is a common alternate name, but the species is not a sea-dwelling amphibian. The epithet marina reflects an old naming error rather than a marine lifestyle. Cane toads are also famous for their large parotoid glands, which secrete potent toxins when the animal is threatened.