One of the most endearing animals in the UK is the common toad, which is associated with many of our early wildlife memories. Although it is a common amphibian in Britain, Ireland does not have it. Common toads enjoy breeding in deeper water areas like ponds, farms, reservoirs, or village ponds. They tend to crawl rather than hop and have rough, warty skin. A pair of glands on the back of common toads secrete a toxin that makes them poisonous to potential predators.
Common toads are amphibians that spend the majority of the year foraging in woods, gardens, hedgerows, and tussocky grassland. They nest in ponds in the spring. Over the winter, they hibernate, frequently beneath piles of logs, stones, or even abandoned flower pots!
Habitat
The common toad is a common amphibian that may be found on most islands, including the Isle of Wight, as well as the British mainland. The Jersey toad (Bufo spinosus), which resembles it somewhat, is found in Jersey (Channel Islands). There are no common toads in Ireland. Breeding grounds for common toads are deeper bodies of water. These could be village duck ponds, fishponds, reservoirs, or farm ponds. Sadly, toad populations have been dropping, notably in the southern half of Britain, and these types of freshwater bodies are under threat in many regions of the UK.
Description
Females can reach a height of about 10 cm and males up to 8 cm. The colour of common toads can vary greatly, but they are often brown or olive-brown in hue. Females are frequently reddish or have reddish warts. The skin is “warty,” and it frequently looks dry. Many would-be predators learn to stay away from toads because of the potent toxins found in the skin glands. The tadpoles’ skin contains toxins as well.
Food
Common toads typically eat slugs, snails, and other invertebrates, but larger toads have also been observed to consume grass snakes, small sluggish worms, and even mice.
Life Cycle
Strong migratory instincts cause common toads to take the same springtime route back to their original breeding ponds. They gather at these ponds in the spring, frequently a few weeks after ordinary frogs have finished breeding. Adult toads move away from ponds after a relatively brief breeding season (typically not longer than a week), as they are far more tolerant to dry environments than common frogs. At night, when they are hunting invertebrates like ants, beetles, snails, slugs, and spiders, common toads are most active. They can become sedentary if they discover a reliable food supply.
In fact, throughout the summer they may frequently spend extended amounts of time in gardens. Toad tadpoles are black and form shoals, in contrast to common frog tadpoles, which are placed in clumps. Early in the summer, generally after rain, toadlets can emerge from ponds in large numbers.
As Pet
Toads can be wonderful pets. They also release harmful compounds, though. Toads should only be maintained as a pet under the supervision of an adult. Always wash your hands after interacting with your pet common toad. As a result, typical toad treatment is challenging.
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