In Australia, the cane toad (Bufo marinus) is one of the most disruptive invasive species. It was intentionally introduced to the continent for pest control, but it established itself and became a nuisance species. Because its tadpoles are highly toxic to most other species of animals, its impact on an ecosystem can be devastating. However, one species of fish, the crimson spotted rainbow fish (Melanotaenia duboulayi), which has lived alongside the cane toad for over fifty years, has successfully learned to avoid eating the amphibian’s tadpoles. Most notable about this discovery is the implications it has for the quick-learning abilities of fish species to adapt to avoid toxic prey.

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With a deceptive common name, the golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) is not a frog at all, but a toad. The vibrant coloration of this amphibian is an example of nature’s bright warning sign. Its vivid yellow-orange color is an indication to predators that it is unpalatable. The golden frog produces a poison through its skin when it is attacked and in most cases, one attack on this toad is more than enough to teach a predator not to try it again.
Unfortunately, as is the story with numerous amphibians from Central America, the golden frog’s numbers have dramatically decreased in recent years.

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Little is known about the Kiphire toad (Duttaphrynus kiphirensis) specifically, but by extrapolating information from its close relatives, scientists can assume that it would be a nocturnal creature that spends its days hiding in shaded areas. It is found specifically in Kiphire town in Nagaland, northeastern India. Temperate mountain toads such as this know when the breeding season is due to the arrival of monsoon rains. After the rains come, the area is filled with the croaking calls of males searching for mates.

(Photo © Dahms Tierleben)

Boulenger’s Asian tree toad (Pedostibes hosii) has adhesive disks on all of its toes, making it an unusually good climber for being a toad. It is usually found along streams and rivers in a range of colors from blueish to black. Active mainly at night, this toad feeds on ants.
Females lay their eggs in streams and when the tadpoles hatch, they use their sucker-like mouths to cling on to substrate along the bottom so as to not be swept away.

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The Asian spadefoot (Megophrys montana) has one of the most effective camouflages of the amphibians. Its color, markings, and body shape make it look just like the dead leaves that share its habitat on the forest floor. Female Asian spadefoots lay their eggs under rocks in streams; once the tadpoles hatch, they hang from the water surface, feeding on tiny organisms with their umbrella-shaped mouths.

Photo © Gail Shumway

What looks like someone’s morbid idea of art using fresh roadkill is actually the Surinam toad (Pipa pipa). An inhabitant of turbid, muddy, and slow-moving water, the Surinam toad is highly adapted to an entirely aquatic existence. Powerful hind limbs aid swimming, sense organs along its sides detect vibrations in the muddy water, tentacle-like projections on its fingers feel for prey, and upward-pointing eyes see above the surface.

This toad exhibits unusual mating and breeding patterns: the male clasps the female from above, and the pair turns upside down repeatedly. The eggs are released, fertilized, and trapped in the space between the male’s belly and the female’s back. They are then absorbed into the skin on the female’s back, where they develop into capsules and emerge as miniature frogs.

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He was very camera shy. There’s one about three times the size of this fella lurking around my house somewhere…

Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita)

Length: 6-7cm

Location: Northwestern Europe