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 tummy has a color from dirty white to yellow. In rare cases, you can find toads with red warts on the back.
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 is a small amount of glands that secrete mucus. This feature allows toads to save water and not dry out at a considerable distance from the water. Amphibians of this species tolerate moisture loss up to 30 percent of their body weight, this occurs due to evaporation in the hot time of the day. And every morning during the dew, the toads wash, replenishing their moisture reserves.
Amphibian eyes are orange with horizontal black pupils. There is also 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 danger, stands out from the hillocks behind the eyes.
The language is very interesting. It is placed in the joint in the front of the mouth. Driven by instinct. It responds to any movement that falls under the corresponding production parameters. The tongue is pink. Sticky to keep food even better.
The forelimbs are used to capture prey. And also to keep the male on the female during mating. There are no membranes on them. Eardrums are available only on the hind legs. They are much stronger and longer than the forelimbs.
Gray toad: breeding
The breeding season falls in April-May. And 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 is protected from encroachments of rivals. Then they begin to call the female with a long croak. Females usually appear two weeks later at the breeding site. When the gray toad chooses his chosen one, he goes to his territory and he climbs onto her back. It is fixed on it with the help of its front short and thick legs. During the breeding season, the membranes between the fingers of males are painted in a more saturated dark color. Only 1 male can copulate with each female. This occurs in shallow places, where they can spend hours under water at the bottom, floating up just to replenish their air supplies. The male clasps 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 pond. There remains only the largest male to protect the offspring.
Eggs and Tadpoles
Caviar throwing begins on a warm sunny day. Females are capable of producing from 600 to 4 thousand eggs. But of this amount of litter, usually 2-3 individuals survive to reproductive age. Caviar resembles cords that are wound on plants in ponds, on various branches and more.
The incubation period takes 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 bursts and fluctuations of water, as well as the death of a fellow tribe in the teeth of a predator. The next 3 months, their life will depend only on the presence of mosquitoes and water temperature. Then the young toads will leave their birthplace. Moreover, their size is not more than 1 cm.
Behavior features
Ordinary, or gray, toad, by its nature, is 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 threatens, they jump or inflate and stand in a defensive aggressive pose.
Food
Each amphibian has its own small habitat, which they thoroughly search for food. These amphibians feed on invertebrates: bugs, bugs, worms, caterpillars, even newborn lizards, snakes and mice, and their favorite dish is bare slugs. They see prey at a distance of up to three meters. They hunt with their tongue, to which the victim sticks. If it is large, then the toad helps itself with the help of the forelegs. 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 very interested in scientists, was a participant in an interesting experience. His goal was to identify aggression and hostility towards his relatives. The essence of the experience is quite simple. A sheet of honey was placed next to the toad. He lured insects. A large cluster of them aroused the interest of another toad. And she came to foreign territory. The owner of the range did not react to this at all. The two of them began to enjoy their meal calmly. And even when they hunted for the same insect, and one led away the prey from the other, this did not affect their external behavior. They continued to eat calmly. This experience suggests that these are very peaceful and non-conflict amphibians.
Is the gray toad a pet?
Gray toads are very easy to tame. They are gullible and unpretentious in food. For them, the main indicator of the edibility of food is its mobility. They are also great helpers on the plot.
Hibernation
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 burrows in silt or tears minks on its own (which is extremely rare). Mostly toads use alien minks for wintering. When the gray toad crawls into the hole, it blocks the entrance with earth, which prevents the ingress of cold from the outside. Amphibians awaken at the end of March, at a temperature not lower than +5 degrees Celsius. Then they go to breeding sites.
Natural enemies
She has enough enemies: these are birds of prey, and snakes, and hedgehogs, and rats. But the worst enemy is man. For many people, the gray toad is an ugly, useless and even harmful animal. But this view is far from reality. Of course, they do not shine with their beauty. They are poisonous, but for protection purposes only. After all, they simply cannot physically escape from their enemies. Because nature made them large and slow. Therefore, they compensated for their physical imperfections with poisonous glands on the body. And in terms of human benefits, the toad is a very useful neighbor. She can eat up to 60% of pests in the garden. The gray toad is a very valuable and useful ally for humans, although not the most beautiful. But in view of her nocturnal lifestyle, this is not scary.
