Perhaps, reading the word "toad" in the title of our article, someone will wince in disgust. The mere mention of this amphibian in many people causes extremely unpleasant associations: it is unpleasant to pick up this creature, because all of its skin is covered in “warts”, and in general, its appearance is not the most pleasant. But we hasten to assure you that this is not the case. If you look closely at the toad, you can even feel sympathy for this animal.
Today there are more than three hundred species of toads in the world - water, climbing nocturnal, viviparous. But today, the hero of our article will be the most poorly studied jungle toad. This species is common in Western Europe, and in the territories of the republics of the former Soviet Union it is found only in the B altic states, northwestern Ukraine and western Belarus.
Reed toad description
This is an amphibian belonging to the numerous genus Toad (Bufo). Sometimes it is also called stink toad (Bufo calamita). It belongs to the Order of the Tailless. The toad, whose photo is not very common in publications about animals, is a typical representative of his family, whichlives on almost every continent except Australia.
You can't say it's a big toad. This is a very small animal. Usually there are individuals about five centimeters long. Toads eight centimeters long or more are extremely rare.
External Features
The cane toad has an interesting color. Its back is painted in a light gray-olive color. It is covered with numerous dark spots. A light stripe that runs along the middle of the back and head distinguishes this amphibian from the green toad, which is widely distributed today.
The skin is bumpy, but without thorns. This distinguishes it from frogs, whose skin is perfectly smooth and protected from drying out by mucus. The skin of the cane toad is covered with numerous single small glands that secrete a toxic substance. Two more large glands are located near the ears. They are called parotids.
The abdomen is painted in a gray-white shade. The pupils of the eyes are horizontal. The males of this variety of toads have powerful throat resonators, thanks to which they can be heard at a great distance. The second and inner fingers are approximately the same size. Males and females differ in the color of the throat - in females it is colored white, and in males it is purple.
Protection from enemies
It is no coincidence that the rush toad received from nature such a modest color and poisonous glands. This is the only defense of these slow animals in the struggle for existence. Sensing danger, toadreed tries to escape, but when she fails to do this, in fear she pulls off her skin and becomes covered with a white foamy liquid that has an extremely unpleasant odor.
In order not to become the prey of a badger, a crow or a raccoon dog, the toad should be almost invisible. If the predator still managed to notice the amphibian and grab it, then you will not envy him. A lump of poisonous glands reflexively releasing substances with a disgusting pungent odor, a very bitter taste that provides an emetic effect - you must admit that only a very hungry predator can be tempted by such a “delicacy”. Poisonous substances secreted by the glands do not cause any harm to a person and do not cause the appearance of warts (the most common misconception).
Habitat
We have already said that the rush toad is common in Europe, in the east and north its range reaches Great Britain, it is also found in southern Sweden, in western Belarus, in northwestern Ukraine, in the B altic states. On the territory of our country, it can only be seen in the Kaliningrad region.
Prefers to live in the lowlands. Loves sandy light soils in well-warmed up by the sun, dry and open areas. Inhabits sandy banks of rivers, reservoirs, lakes, overgrown with grassy vegetation and shrubs, settles on heather wastelands.
You can see this toad in meadows, on the edges of forests, in logging sites, where it hides under tree trunks stackedstacks. The rush toad feels comfortable on farmland (with loose soils). And in the Pyrenees, it rises to a height of more than two and a half thousand meters above sea level.
Behavior in nature
After winter, the rush toad is active at the end of April. Usually active at dusk, rarely active during the day, usually on cloudy days.
During the dormant period (in winter) it hides in burrows or other shelters - in natural niches, under stones, in earth cracks, sometimes burrows into the soil. The basis of the diet is insects. During breeding, it practically does not take food. Sexual maturity occurs at four years of age. Life expectancy is fifteen years.
The rush toad leaves for wintering at the end of August, when the air temperature drops to 10°C.
What does the Jungle Toad eat?
Reed toads prefer to eat crawling invertebrates: ants, beetles, snails, worms and others.
This toad (you see the photo below) is one of the few among its "relatives" who pursues its prey. Sensing prey, it quickly turns towards it and grabs it with its mouth.
Reproduction
The Jungle Toad breeds in shallow, warm, stagnant pools densely overgrown with vegetation. Sometimes the female spawns in brackish waters. For reproduction, a water temperature of at least +18 ° C is required. This period lasts from the second half of April tothe very end of July. Mass spawning usually takes place in May or June.
Usually during the day at this time, individuals are at the bottom of the reservoir. Caviar cords are five millimeters wide and 1.6 meters long. In rare cases, their length can reach 3.2 m. They are located at a shallow depth (no more than 20 cm). Eggs with a diameter of 1.6 mm are arranged in two rows. At one time, the female is able to lay up to 5250 eggs.
The larvae grow up to 8.5 mm. Development continues for 55 days. The toad's tadpole grows up to 28 mm before metamorphosis. They feed on detritus, protozoa, phytoplankton and small crustaceans.
Toads of this species grow very slowly. When the tadpole becomes a small but nimble toad, the animal leaves the reservoir. Juveniles that have just landed are only 1 centimeter long. They climb very dexterously, pressing their belly.
Numbers
In the post-Soviet space, the Jungle Toad lives on the eastern edge of its range. This species is extremely unevenly distributed. In some regions, its numbers are quite large, while in others there is a decline in numbers and a decrease in habitats.
Meets on the territory of some reserves. This species is under the protection of the Berne Convention (Appendix II). In many countries, the common toad is a rare species. The Red Book of the USSR, as well as the Red Books of Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Russia, included the amphibian in their protection lists. The ecology of this species is currently not well understood.
Reed toad: interesting facts
This toad is not able to jump well like frogs because it has shorter hind legs. Her jumps are neither high nor long.
This species of toad is a very poor swimmer, so much so that once in a deep body of water, it can easily drown.
But she can skillfully climb a stump or get out of a deep hole. In addition, it easily crawls along an inclined tree trunk, but only if the bark has at least a slight roughness.
And one more interesting fact. The reed toad moves very interestingly: it does not crawl, does not jump, but runs, and on all four legs, bending its back in a funny way. In this way, it resembles a mouse-like rodent, and not an anuran.
The Jungle Toad has been named the loudest toad in the world. The frequency of sounds made by males during the mating season reaches one and a half thousand hertz.
Sometimes Jungle Toads choose swallow nests on sandy shores for wintering. Several toads can live in one burrow.
