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Common Toad Facts

Common Toad Facts
Common toad is an amphibian that is also known as European toad because it is widely spread in the Europe. Common toad can be found in entire Europe, except in northern Scotland and on the Mediterranean islands. This toad inhabits various habitats: grasslands, forests, swamps, marshes and urban areas. Common toad requires water for reproduction and it always uses same breeding areas. Main threat to the survival of common toad is habitat destruction (draining of wetlands). Despite that, population of common toad is large and stable. Common toads are not on the list of endangered species.
Interesting Common Toad Facts:
Common toad can reach 4 to 7 inches in length and 0.7 to 2.8 ounces of weight. Females are larger than males.
Common toad has warty skin that can be olive-green, grey, reddish or dark brown and covered with dark spots. Belly is white to grey in color. Color of the skin matches with the colors of habitat and it provides camouflage.
Common toad has copper-colored eyes with horizontal pupils. It has long, sticky tongue and large mouth without teeth.
Common toad is carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet includes various insects, spiders, worms and occasionally small snakes and rodents.
Common toad sits and waits for the prey to appear and catches it using the factor of surprise (an ambush predator). It swallows the prey in one piece.
People appreciate voracious appetite and type of food consumed by common toad because it eliminates pests from their gardens.
Common toad is active during the night (nocturnal animal). Peak of activity is usually at twilight.
Common toad spends most of its life on the solid ground. It migrates toward the pond or some other habitat associated with water only to mate.
Common toad moves by crawling on the ground (it does not jump like other frogs). It moves slowly, at the speed of 5 miles per hour.
Common toad hibernates during the winter months to avoid lack of food and prevent death out of freezing. Hibernation usually lasts from October to March.
Common toad produces toxin in skin that keeps predators on the safe distance. Also, common toad urinates when it is in danger to eliminate excess water and gain extra speed.
Predators such as hedgehogs and grass snakes are immune to the toxin of common toad.
Mating season takes place from March to June. Males usually fight with each other to establish dominance and get opportunity to mate.
Female lays several thousand eggs on the vegetation near water and in the water itself. Eggs look like a jelly string. Metamorphosis (transformation of a tadpole into adult toad) lasts 8 to 12 weeks. Young common toads reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 to 3 years.
Common toad can survive 20-40 years in the wild and over 50 years in captivity.


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