Natterjack Toad
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| Bufo calamita Laurenti, 1768 |
The Natterjack Toad (Bufo calamita) is a toad native to sandy and heathland areas of Northern Europe. Adults are 60 - 70 mm in length and are distinquished from the common toad by a yellow line down the middle of the back. They have relatively long legs, and this gives them a distinctive gait, contrasting with the hopping movement of many other toad species.
Natterjacks have a very loud and distinctive mating call, amplified by the single vocal sack found under the chin of the male animal. This toad lives for up to 12 years and feeds on insects, weavils and other small animals. It spawns between April and July, laying 'strings' of eggs in shallow but deep water.
[edit] Conservation
In the UK this species is one of only three amphibians protected under the national Biodiversity Action Plan. The reason for the threatened status of this organism is: (a) loss of habitat from human overpopulation, (b) reduction in habitable coast from construction of dykes and seawalls, and (c) acidification of aquatic habitat from acid rain and other pollution factors.
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[edit] References
- Beja, P. et al. (2004). Bufo calamita. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is of least concern
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