What a nice chap! This toad posed for me one summer night. It made sure to bloat itself up (stretched its legs and inflated its lungs with air) to deter me from eating him! What a thought! You will notice in the photo the large glands just behind the eyes. These secrete an irritant substance through the skin that serves as a deterrent to most predators, hedgehogs and grass snakes excluded.
Toads are generally nocturnal and are most active on rainy nights, but can sometimes be seen in the daytime after rainfall. During the day they can be found under tree roots, stones and vegetation in a shallow burrow which they have excavated.
This wonderful little creature can live up to 40 years. It feeds on insects, spiders, slugs and worms, which it catches on its sticky tongue. Large individuals can also prey on slow worms, small grass snakes and even harvest mice. These are swallowed live. Their skin colour varies according to time of year, area, sex and age.
Only male common toads croak, which can be a useful way of distinguishing males and females. Males will ’squeak’ if picked up. I didn’t pick up this toad.
It is sometimes difficult to identify the common toad because its skin colour varies according to time of year, area, sex and age.
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