Common Toad

Physical Characteristics

Skin and Coloration:
The common toad (Bufo bufo) has dry, warty skin that ranges in color from grayish-brown to olive or even reddish hues. These earth-tone colors help provide camouflage among leaf litter and forest floors. Their bellies are paler and often speckled.

Head and Eyes:
They have a broad, flat head with a blunt snout. One of their most distinctive features is their coppery or golden-orange eyes with horizontal slit-shaped pupils. Behind each eye lies a visible parotoid gland that secretes a mild toxin as a defense mechanism.

Body Shape and Limbs:
The common toad has a stocky, squat body with short, sturdy limbs adapted more for walking or slow crawling than hopping. Its hind legs are shorter than those of frogs, giving it a lumbering gait. Toads use their legs for burrowing into soil or leaf litter.

Size:

• Adult Length: 2.4 to 4.7 in (6 to 12 cm), with females being larger than males.

• Weight: 20 to 80 g (0.7 to 2.8 oz), varying with season, sex, and age.

Texture and Adaptations:
Unlike frogs, the common toad’s skin is not smooth but rather dry and rough, with raised warts that serve both camouflage and defense. These warts are not contagious but are linked to glandular structures that can secrete a bitter toxin.

Tail:
As with all adult amphibians in the Anura order, common toads lack tails.

Summary:
The common toad’s physical characteristics—earth-tone coloration, dry warty skin, parotoid glands, and sturdy limbs—equip it well for a mostly terrestrial life. These features offer both camouflage and defense in temperate woodlands, gardens, and grasslands across Europe and parts of Asia.

Reproduction

Breeding Season:
The common toad (Bufo bufo) begins its reproductive cycle in early spring, typically between March and April, depending on regional climate. Toads migrate in large numbers from their terrestrial habitats to ancestral breeding ponds, often traveling long distances to return to the same water body each year.

Courtship and Amplexus:
Mating begins with the male grasping the female in a position known as amplexus, where he clings to her back using his forelimbs. This behavior may last several days. During this time, multiple males may compete for a single female, resulting in mating aggregations and occasional “mating balls.”

Fertilization:
Fertilization is external. As the female lays her eggs in the water, the male simultaneously releases sperm to fertilize them.

Egg Laying:

• Egg Strings: Females lay long double strands of jelly-coated eggs—often containing 3,000 to 6,000 eggs—that they wrap around submerged vegetation or debris in shallow waters.

• Egg Size: Eggs are tiny, black, and embedded in clear jelly.

Development and Tadpoles:
The eggs hatch within 2 to 3 weeks, depending on water temperature. The resulting tadpoles are dark and initially herbivorous, feeding on algae and plant matter.

Metamorphosis:

• Timeframe: Tadpoles undergo metamorphosis over 2 to 3 months.

• Stages: They gradually develop hind legs, then forelimbs, and reabsorb their tails as they transition to juvenile toads (toadlets).

• Toadlet Size: Toadlets measure about 1 cm (0.4 in) when they leave the water to begin their terrestrial life.

Sexual Maturity:
Common toads reach sexual maturity at approximately 3 to 4 years of age, though some may take longer depending on environmental conditions and food availability.

Reproductive Strategy:
The high number of eggs compensates for the low survival rate, as many tadpoles and young toads fall prey to predators such as fish, birds, and insects.

Summary:
The common toad’s reproductive cycle is timed with seasonal changes and relies on mass migrations to breeding ponds, external fertilization, and high-volume egg laying to ensure species survival in the face of heavy predation and environmental pressures.

Lifespan

Lifespan in the Wild:
In their natural habitat, common toads (Bufo bufo) typically live 10 to 12 years, although some individuals may survive up to 15 years under favorable conditions. Lifespan in the wild is influenced by factors such as predation, habitat quality, weather, and disease.

Lifespan in Captivity:
When protected from predators and provided with stable environmental conditions, toads in captivity can live significantly longer—up to 40 years has been recorded in exceptional cases. Average captive lifespan is typically around 10 to 20 years with proper care.

Threats to Longevity:

• Predation: Eggs and tadpoles face heavy predation from fish, aquatic insects, and birds. Juveniles and adults may be preyed upon by snakes, mammals, and birds.

• Habitat Loss: Urbanization, road construction, and wetland drainage threaten both breeding and foraging grounds.

• Road Mortality: Seasonal migrations to breeding sites often lead to high mortality due to road crossings.

• Pollution: Pesticides, herbicides, and water pollutants can disrupt development and cause death at various life stages.

• Disease: Like many amphibians, common toads are susceptible to chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and ranavirus, which can cause significant population declines.

Adaptations for Survival:
Common toads produce a bitter toxin from their skin and parotoid glands, deterring many predators. Their nocturnal habits and burrowing behavior also help reduce risk.

Summary:
The common toad has the potential for a relatively long life, especially for an amphibian, with wild individuals commonly living up to 12 years and captive toads surpassing 20 years. Their longevity depends heavily on environmental stability, predator avoidance, and successful migration to and from breeding sites.

Eating Habits

Diet:
The common toad (Bufo bufo) is a carnivorous and primarily insectivorous amphibian. Its diet consists of a wide variety of invertebrates, including:

• Insects (beetles, ants, moths, flies)

• Worms

• Slugs and snails

• Spiders

• Woodlice

• Occasionally small vertebrates such as baby mice or small amphibians if available

Feeding Behavior:
Common toads are nocturnal foragers, emerging at dusk to hunt under the cover of darkness. They rely heavily on their keen sense of smell and movement detection to locate prey.

Hunting Strategy:

• Toads are ambush predators. They remain still and wait for prey to pass by.

• They use their sticky, projectile tongue to catch small, fast-moving invertebrates.

• Larger prey may be grabbed with their jaws and manipulated with their forelimbs.

Feeding Frequency:
Adult toads feed several times per week, with frequency depending on temperature, prey availability, and metabolic needs. Juveniles eat smaller prey more frequently to support growth.

Seasonal Variation:
Toads feed most actively during the warmer months (spring through early autumn).

• In winter, they enter hibernation and do not eat, surviving on stored body fat.

• In early spring, they resume feeding post-breeding once they return from migration.

Ecological Role:
Common toads help control pest populations in gardens and ecosystems by consuming large quantities of insects and invertebrates. A single adult toad can eat hundreds of insects in a night.

Summary:
The common toad is an efficient nocturnal predator that plays a vital role in ecosystem balance. With a diet composed mostly of insects and other invertebrates, its feeding habits contribute to natural pest control and biodiversity maintenance.

Uniqueness

Mass Migration and Site Fidelity:
One of the most remarkable traits of the common toad (Bufo bufo) is its annual mass migration to ancestral breeding ponds. Toads show strong site fidelity, returning to the same pond each year—even if it means crossing roads or traveling long distances. This instinctual navigation behavior is triggered by environmental cues like temperature and humidity.

Parotoid Glands and Chemical Defense:
Common toads possess large parotoid glands located behind their eyes that secrete a mildly toxic substance called bufotoxin. This defense deters many predators by producing a bitter taste and mild irritation. Though generally harmless to humans, the toxin can be dangerous to small animals or pets.

Dry, Warty Skin:
Unlike frogs, toads have dry, rough, warty skin, which helps minimize water loss and allows them to live farther from water sources. Their appearance provides excellent camouflage against forest floors and leaf litter.

Terrestrial Lifestyle:
The common toad spends most of its life on land, often in gardens, woodlands, and under logs or stones. It is less dependent on water than many amphibians, only returning to aquatic environments for breeding.

Long Lifespan and High Site Loyalty:
Compared to many amphibians, common toads have a longer lifespan, often exceeding 10 years in the wild. Their strong homing ability and survival instincts contribute to this longevity.

Nocturnal Ambush Predator:
Toads are specialized for night hunting, using stealth and their sticky tongue to ambush prey. Their ability to stay still for long periods conserves energy and makes them effective insectivores.

Hibernation and Burrowing:
In colder months, common toads hibernate underground or beneath logs and leaf litter. They are skilled burrowers and can dig backward into loose soil to escape extreme temperatures or drought.

Summary:
The common toad is a unique amphibian adapted to terrestrial life, with features like chemical defense, annual migrations, and long lifespans. Its behaviors and physiology set it apart from frogs and highlight its ecological importance in temperate environments.