TerralogNEWS101
24
Naturschutz
heCommonToad(
Bufobufo
)iswayahead
of all other amphibians in standing for
natureconservationontheroadsofGermany.In
ourautomobile-dominatedcultural landscape,
the Batrachian of the Year 2012 is a fitting
symboloftheconflictbetweenroadtrafficand
our nativewildlife. Hundreds of thousands of
CommonToadsdieontheroadsinspringevery
yearastheymigratetotheirspawningwaters–
not tomention the countlessmillions of tiny
juvenilesthat insummer leavethewaterwhere
theywerebornandoftenmeetamiserableend
beneath tire treadsafteronlya fewmeters.All
themore astonishing that theCommonToad
nevertheless remains our commonest
amphibian species and is found almost
everywhere.
Nevertheless there is a noticeable downward
trend in the population of this overall little
endangered species.For this reason,year after
year unpaid conservationists maintain and
monitor toad fencesandbucket traps,while in
some places roads are closed or permanent
conduits and toad tunnels are created.Other
native animals also benefit from such
conservationmeasures.
The Common Toad is 8–12 cm long with a
brownish-gray,warty,dryskinand large,paired
T
TheDeutscheGesellschaft fürHerpetologieundTerrarienkunde (German
AssociationofHerpetologistsandTerrarium-Keepers,DGHT) hasdeclared
theCommonToad (
Bufobufo
) Batrachianof theYear 2012.
Batrachianof theYear2012–
theCommonToad
byderDGHT
parotoid glands. Some people see its beauty
onlywhentheylookintoitsbright,goldeneyes.
Common Toads are inhabitants mainly of
deciduousandmixedwoodlands,but arealso
found in parkland and gardens, where they
overwinter inholes intheground,tree-stumps,
andcompostheaps.Aftertheirwinterrest(from
October to March), toads migrate, often
together in large numbers, to their spawning
The action by the DGHT and its AG
Feldherpetologie
und
Artenschutz
is
supported by the Austrian and Swiss
professionalorganizationsÖGHandKARCHas
well as by NABU. Further information can be
foundon the Internet at
waters intheearlyspring,duringrainyweather
whenthetemperatureis5–10°C.Inthespaceof
a few days pairs deposit their long strings of
2,000–4,000eggs in(fish)pondsand lakes,then
shortlythereaftertheymigratetotheirsummer
habitats. Thousands of black tadpoles often
formhuge swarms in thewater beforegoing
ashore as young toads in June and July.
Common Toads feed on earthworms,
millipedes,beetles,spiders,snails,andslugs,and
hence are useful for controlling pests in the
garden.
Pair of Common Toads from the Aalborg area inDenmark. The female belongs to a very rare golden
color variant.
Photo:FrankSchäfer
