Common Toad - a photo on Flickriver

Common Toad

            Common Toad / bufo bufo. Derbyshire. 22/03/19.

'BEAUTY LIES IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER.'

When I made this image at a woodland edge almost three years ago, I was pretty sure the toad pictured was a female. Her rich brown colouring and the bold black markings underneath, were spectacular.
If a toad can look beautiful, she did to me!

She had a very large, rounded belly that looked spawn laden and she was heading in the right direction for a sizeable breeding pond. I know the pond quite well and have actually witnessed toads spawning in some of the reedy margins over the years. It was good to find one before the event, that year.

BEST VIEWED LARGE.

Taken on: March 22, 2019

Tags:

common toad

bufo bufo

adult

amphibian

toad

fairly common

numbers in decline

widespread

inland

urban

rural

brownfield sites

damp environments

gardens

parkland

scrubland

woodland

ditches

dykes

ponds

lakes

slow moving water

variable colouring

broad, squat body

long back legs

slightly webbed back feet

warty skin

rounded snout

beautifully marked eyes

orange or golden eyes

ungainly walk

short jumps

inconspicuous

camouflaged

usually nocturnal

predator

predatory

invertebrates

insect larvae

spiders

slugs

earthworms

forage for food

mostly solitary

largely terrestrial

excavate shallow burrows

annual migrations

breeding ponds

traditional sites

large gatherings

glutinous egg strings

spawn

tadpoles

metamorphosis

early spring

woodland edge

bare soil

emergent plants

plant debris

moss

female

large, rounded belly

looking spawn laden

heading to breeding pond

skin detail

rich brown tones

greyish-white underside

grey-black underside marks

close encounter

low PoV

macro « less

Sets appears in: • Upload to flickr • In Explore more » • Reptiles & Amphibians « less

Groups appears in: • Urban Wildlife • British Reptiles and Amphibians more » • Wildlife Of Great Britain and Ireland. • Countryfile • Wildlife UK • Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Wildlife • BBC Springwatch (Official) • WILD BRITAIN. • Reptiles and amphibians. UK • Derbyshire Wildlife Trust • Wild life photography bokeh • in explore • Reptile and Amphibian Sightings UK « less

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