[2] It was first described by Masafumi Matsui in 1976 during research with Kyoto University as a "moderate to large-sized toad" with a "peculiar color pattern" and "stream-dwelling habits.

Its natural habitats are temperate forests and rivers, mainly in the mountainous regions of Japan.

It is believed that Bufo torrenticola is the only species of toad in Japan that spawns in streams rather than lentic habitats.

[4] As a result of being the only stream spawning member of the family Bufonidae in Japan, it has morphological characteristics that distinguish it from other species, particularly Bufo japonicus formosus, which is closely related.

[7] The main adaptive characteristics noted have been long toe phalanges, more streamlined skulls, and large foot webs that make Bufo torrenticola better suited to life in torrential waters.