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 dirty white to yellow color. In rare cases, toads with red warts on the back can be found.
The very body of the toad is wide and slightly flattened.There are no resonators in males. The skin is dry and lumpy. Also on the skin there is a small amount of glands that secrete mucus. This feature allows toads to save water and not to dry at a considerable distance from the water. Amphibians of this species perfectly tolerate the loss of moisture up to 30 percent of their body weight, this is due to evaporation in the hot time of day. And every morning during the dew fallout, the toads wash themselves, 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 under water.
The gray toad, the photo of which is presented in the article, has a poisonous secret. It is activated at danger, stands out from the mounds behind the eyes.
Very interesting language is arranged.It is placed in the joint in front of the mouth. Managed by instinct. It responds to any movement that falls under the appropriate parameters of production. Tongue pink. Sticky, which makes it even better to keep food.
The front limbs serve to capture prey.And also to keep the male on the female during mating. There are no membranes on them. Swimming membranes are available only on the hind legs. They are much stronger and longer than the front limbs.
Gray Toad: Breeding
The reproduction period falls in April-May.And lasts from 3 to 6 days. It all starts with the moment of awakening from hibernation. Males arrive to the reservoir and occupy a certain territory, which is protected from the encroachments of rivals. Then they begin to call the female for a long croaking. Females usually appear two weeks later at the breeding site. When the gray toad chooses his chosen one, he enters the territory of him, 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 male individuals are painted in a more saturated dark color. Only 1 male can mate with each female. This occurs in shallow places, where they can spend hours under water at the bottom, emerging only in order to replenish their air reserves. The male with its front paws clasps the female's hind paws, and at the same time makes grunting sounds and trills. After some time, adults leave the reservoir. There remains only the largest male to protect the offspring.
Eggs and tadpoles
Spawning starts on a warm sunny day.Females are able to produce from 600 to 4 thousand eggs. But out of this amount of litter, 2-3 individuals usually live to reproductive age. Caviar resembles cords that are wound on plants in ponds, on various branches, and so on.
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, only strong bursts and fluctuations of water, as well as the death of a tribesman 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 the place of their birth. However, their size is not more than 1 cm.
Features of behavior
Common, or gray, toad by naturea loner and lives in dry places: forest, park, garden, etc. And only during the breeding season do amphibians make an exception, going down to the water. These amphibians are night dwellers. In the daytime they prefer to hide in the roots of trees, under blocks of stones, in grass, burrows, in general, in any secluded, dark, quiet corner. Very active in rainy weather, especially at night. Due to their large size, they move in very slow and awkward steps, and when threatened, they jump or inflate and stand in a defensive aggressive posture.
Food
Each amphibian has its own small area.habitat, which they thoroughly searched for food. These amphibians feed on invertebrates: bugs, bedbugs, worms, caterpillars, even new-born lizards, snakes and mice, and their most favorite dish is naked slugs. The prey is seen at a distance of 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 front paws. Gray toads are very voracious, but even this fact does not allow them to eat dead animals.
Interesting experience
Gray Toad, whose lifestyle is very interestingscientists, was a member of an interesting experience. Its purpose was to reveal aggression and hostility towards their kinsmen. The essence of the experience is quite simple. Next to the toad put a sheet of honey. He lured insects. A large accumulation of them aroused the interest of another toad. And she came to foreign territory. The hostess of the area to this absolutely did not respond. The two of them began to quietly enjoy their meal. And even when they were hunting the same insect, and one was stealing prey from another, it had no effect on their external behavior. They continued to calmly eat. This experience shows 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 edibility of food is its mobility. They are also excellent assistants on the plot.
Hibernation
The toad is gray among its kinresistant to cold. Hibernation falls only in September, October. He experiences winter in various places: under dry foliage, under logs, in pipes, sometimes buries in silt or pulls out minks on his own (which is extremely rare). Mostly toads use alien minks for wintering. When the gray toad climbs 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 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 opinion is far from reality. They certainly do not shine with their beauty. They are poisonous, but this is for protection purposes only. After all, they just physically can not run away from their enemies. Because nature has made them large and cumbersome. Therefore, they compensated for their physical defects with poisonous glands on the body. And in terms of benefits for humans, the toad is a very useful neighbor. It 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 due to her nocturnal lifestyle, it's not scary.
Myths and truths
There are many legends about toads thatbased on their ability to excrete poison. And this serves as confirmation that the potions that were cooked by witches, healers or witches, always contained part of a toad (its paw, for example). And so most people fear and kill toads. But this is far from justified violence. The poison of the toad, hitting on the intact skin of a person will not cause much harm. Only in contact with mucous membranes and damaged skin can it cause irritation, redness and slight inflammation. Therefore, in no case after contact with the toad, you should not rub your eyes or drag your hands into your mouth, you must first wash them. And then there will be no unpleasant incidents.
There is nothing superfluous in nature, and the gray toad is no exception.
