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Stubborn toad stays put to avoid curious visitors

From the archive, first published Wednesday 9th Aug 2006.

During the school summer holidays, Wyre Forest District Council Ranger Service is involved in running a selection of outdoor events aimed at encouraging people to learn about the natural world.

It was at one of these, an event called Night Noises, that the group came across a common toad in Habberley Valley. Although I would not say this was rare, it was certainly an unusual sighting.

During the day, toads hide out in burrows away from the heat of the sun only to emerge after dark. We found this particular toad only minutes after dark had fallen and the sky was still holding some light. The eager eyes and inquisitive torches of the group had located the toad before it had time to leave its burrow. Tucked up inside the hollow of a fallen silver birch tree the toad's head could just be seen poking out.

Toads can live for up to 40 years and sometimes you can get a sense of their age from the knowing stare they seem to give. This toad was no exception and she (female toads are bigger than males and this was certainly a large toad) looked positively regal, sitting inside her burrow.

With all of these people about this toad had absolutely no intention of emerging from its burrow. One of the principal threats to a toad is a human and its activites. Other than people, though, toads have very few enemies. They have an irritant skin which puts off most predators with only grass snakes, hedgehogs and herons being the exception to this.

I am certain, however, that once we had moved on the toad would emerge from her burrow and begin her nightly hunt for food. A big toad like this could easily eat young grass snakes, slow worms and even mice, but would normally prefer smaller prey such as slugs, worms, flies and other insects. These they will actively stalk by using slow controlled movements until they get within striking range. They then take aim and shoot out their tongues, capturing their prey on its sticky end. The tongue retracts taking the prey with it.

Toads are one of the most widespread of amphibians with the common toad , whose Latin name is the enigmatic Bufo Bufo, being found in as far flung places as Africa and even Japan.

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