Toads, amphibians to protect

Unlike frogs, toads prefer to have their feet on the ground. No question of taking a dip all day long, but as their skin is thin and fragile, it needs permanent moisture. So toads like morning dew, showers.

At the first drop of rain, the toads leave their shelter to rehydrate and eat. They then go on a spree, especially in the gardens and start hunting.

But what are they capturing and how? The explanations of Stéphane Vitzthum, SVT professor and passionate naturalist:

“Toads will eat any prey that they think is a suitable size, but with specificity. When a toad sees a small animal moving in front of it, it has two options. Either the animal moves towards it, the toad finds it suspicious , it does nothing. Either the prey moves away, and the capture reflex is launched. The toad throws its tongue at the prey and eats it. It can be an earthworm, a slug, any insect. “

“If it doesn’t rain, they are able to remain prostrate for 15 days, motionless, without eating”.

Stephane Vitzthum

at franceinfo

Once a year, toads migrate to breed. At the first downpour in March, they head for the ponds to mate. They are able to travel a kilometer. But many died there, crushed by cars. To preserve these animals, we set up toads like in Lorraine.

“There are indeed several toads in Lorraine. The very first was installed near Metz, in an area where the toads crossed a busy road. The mortality rate was extraordinarily high at the time.

The simplest toad is a barrier of about thirty centimeters. The toads are forced to walk along this protection and will fall into holes placed every ten meters or so. This hole leads them to a pipe which leads them to the pond. When the reproduction is finished, they leave in the same way. They return to their terrestrial space where they can spend the summer quietly.

There are only 3 species of toads in France, the common toad (Bufo bufo)the green toad (Bufotes viridis) and the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita). The toad called midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) belongs to another group of amphibians. He has the particularity of taking care of his offspring from A to Z.

“The male will help the female to deliver the eggs, then will twist these eggs on his hind legs and take care of them for a fortnight. He will somehow protect them. And when he feels on his back the young tadpoles wriggle in the egg, then the midwife toad will leave the terrestrial domain, go to the pond, will deposit the eggs and will release the tadpoles.

The midwife toad lays between 20 and 50 eggs. A small player compared to the natterjack toad capable of laying 10,000 eggs but leaving its offspring to fend for themselves…