The gray toad described in the article is the largest toad in Europe. Scientists have long shown interest in this amphibian.
Appearance
Her color varies. The back can be from brown-gray to brown with black spots. The belly is off-white to yellow in color. In rare cases, toads can be found with red warts on their backs.
The body of the toad itself is wide and slightly flattened. There are no resonators in males. The skin is dry and bumpy. Also on the skin there are a small number of glands that secrete mucus. This feature allows toads to conserve water and not dry out at a considerable distance from water. Amphibians of this species perfectly tolerate moisture loss up to 30 percent of their body weight, this occurs due to evaporation during the hot time of the day. And every morning, during the dew, the toads bathe, replenishing their moisture reserves.
Amphibian eyes are orange with horizontal black pupils. It also has a third eyelid, which allows the toad to see well underwater.
The gray toad, the photo of which is presented in the article, has a poisonous secret. It is activated in case of danger, it is released from the bumps behind the eyes.
The language is very interesting. It is placed injoint in front of the mouth. Ruled by instinct. It reacts to any movement that falls under the corresponding production parameters. Pink tongue. Sticky for even better food retention.
The front limbs are used to capture prey. And also to keep the male on the female during mating. There are no webbing on them. Swimming membranes are present only on the hind legs. They are much stronger and longer than the front limbs.
Common toad breeding
The breeding season is April-May. And it lasts from 3 to 6 days. It all starts from the moment you wake up from hibernation. Males arrive at the reservoir and occupy a certain territory, which they protect from the encroachments of rivals. Then they begin to call the female with a prolonged croaking. Females usually appear two weeks later at the breeding site. When the gray toad chooses his chosen one, he enters his territory, and he climbs onto her back. It is fixed on it with the help of its front short and thick paws. During the breeding season, the membranes between the fingers in males are painted in a more saturated dark color. Only 1 male can mate with each female. This happens in shallow places, where they can spend hours under water at the bottom, surfacing only to replenish their air supply. The male grabs the hind legs of the female with his front paws and at the same time makes grunting sounds and trills. After some time, adults leave the reservoir. Only the largest male remains there to guard the offspring.
Eggs and tadpoles
Spawning begins on a warm sunny day. Females are capable of producing from 600 to 4 thousand eggs. But from such a number of litters, usually 2-3 individuals survive to reproductive age. Caviar resembles cords that are wound around plants in ponds, on various branches, and so on.
The incubation period is 10 days. Tadpoles are in large flocks of their own kind, which increases their chance of survival. They are not afraid of everything in a row, only strong splashes and fluctuations of water, as well as the death of a tribesman in the teeth of a predator. For the next 3 months, their life will depend only on the presence of mosquitoes and the temperature of the water. The young toads will then leave their birthplace. At the same time, their size is not more than 1 cm.
Features of behavior
The common, or gray, toad is by nature a loner and lives in dry places: forest, park, garden, etc. And only during the breeding season, amphibians make an exception, going down to the water. These amphibians are nocturnal inhabitants. In the daytime, they prefer to hide in the roots of trees, under blocks of stones, in grass, minks, in general, in any secluded, dark, quiet corner. Very active in rainy weather, especially at night. Due to their large size, they move with very slow and clumsy steps, and when life is threatened, they jump or puff up and stand in a protective aggressive pose.
Food
Each amphibian has its own small habitat, which they thoroughly search forfood. These amphibians feed on invertebrates: bugs, bedbugs, worms, caterpillars, even newborn lizards, snakes and mice, and naked slugs are their favorite dish. Prey can be seen at a distance of up to three meters. They hunt with the help of their tongue, to which the victim sticks. If it is large, then the toad helps itself with the help of its front legs. Gray toads are very voracious, but even this fact does not allow them to eat dead animals.
Interesting experience
The gray toad, whose lifestyle is of great interest to scientists, was a participant in an interesting experiment. Its purpose was to reveal aggression and hostility towards their relatives. The essence of the experience is quite simple. A leaf with honey was placed next to the toad. He attracted insects. A large accumulation of them aroused the interest of another toad. And she came to a foreign territory. The hostess of the area did not react at all to this. The two of them began to enjoy their meal in peace. And even when they hunted the same insect, and one took away the prey from the other, this did not affect their external behavior in any way. They continued to eat quietly. This experience indicates that these are very peaceful and non-conflict amphibians.
Is the gray toad a pet?
Grey toads are very easy to tame. They are trusting and unpretentious in food. For them, the main indicator of the edibility of food is its mobility. They are also great helpers in the garden.
Hibernation
The gray toad among its relatives is the most resistant to cold. It hibernates only in September and October. It experiences winter in various places:under dry foliage, under logs, in pipes, sometimes it burrows into silt or pulls out minks on its own (which is extremely rare). Basically, toads use other people's minks for wintering. When the common toad climbs into a burrow, it blocks the entrance with earth, which prevents cold from entering from outside. Amphibians wake up at the end of March, at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees Celsius. Then they go to the breeding grounds.
Natural enemies
She has enough enemies: birds of prey, snakes, hedgehogs, and rats. But the worst enemy is man. For many people, the common toad is an ugly, useless and even harmful animal. But this opinion is far from reality. They certainly do not shine with their beauty. They are poisonous, but this is only for protection purposes. After all, they simply physically cannot run away from their enemies. Because nature made them large and clumsy. Therefore, they compensated for their physical shortcomings with poisonous glands on the body. And from the point of view of benefits for humans, the toad is a very useful neighbor. It can eat up to 60% of pests in the garden and vegetable garden. The gray toad is a very valuable and useful ally for humans, although not the most beautiful. But given her nocturnal lifestyle, it's not a big deal.
Myths and truth
There are many legends about toads based on their ability to secrete poison. And this serves as confirmation that the potions that were brewed by witches, healers or sorcerers always contained in their composition part of the toad (its paw,For example). And that's why most people are afraid and kill toads. But this is far from justified violence. Toad venom, once on intact human skin, will not cause much harm. Only when it comes into contact with mucous membranes and damaged skin can it cause irritation, redness and slight inflammation. Therefore, in no case should you rub your eyes or put your hands in your mouth after contact with a toad, you must first wash them. And then there will be no unpleasant incidents.
There is nothing superfluous in nature, and the common toad is no exception.
