Beautiful Bufo - PDF document

1999Beautiful BufoÒDonÕt touch itÐt
1999Beautiful BufoÒDonÕt touch itÐthey give you warts!ÓMany people have heard these wordsthrough the years. When spoken,most of us know exactly what ÒitÓis. The ÒitÓ they are referring to is atoad. Toads have had a bad rap forhundreds of years. They were fearedby many people for bringing bad luck.The magic of wizards and spells ofwitches often included toads! Eventoday, some people believe when toadsand frogs begin calling, a storm maybe approaching. Whatever youbelieve, just remember that toadsare very good to have around. Theyare an important part of the food chain.In Pennsylvania, there are three kinds of toads. TheEastern American toad, FowlerÕs toad, and the Easternspadefoot toad. All three are different from frogs becausethey have dry, warty skin. Toads also have shorter legsand a pair of parotoid (par-o-toid), or poison, glandson the head. The most common toad species inPennsylvania is the American toad, Bufo americanusThe American toad looks a lot like FowlerÕs toad.Sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. Both specieshave poison sacs on the back of the head and downthe back. These sacs look like big Òwarts,Ó but theywill not give you warts ifyou touch them! However,because the poison insideis used for defense againstpredators, it may irritate yourskin. It may even cause deathto smaller animals tryingto eat a toad for lunch!So donÕt be afraid of toads. If youpick one up, though, handle itgently. The American toadÕs nicknameis Òhoptoad.Ó It hops from placeto place looking for food. It eatsmany different kinds of insects,slugs, worms, and other smallinvertebrates. Because it eatsmany common insect pests, itÕsa friendly sight to gardenersand farmers throughout the latespring, summer, and early fall.Like most amphibians, theAmerican toad returns to water to mateand lay eggs each spring. The males arrive firstand begin calling their long Òtrill.Ó American toadsmay begin calling as early as March. The eggs are laidin long, curly strings covered with protective jelly ina marsh, shallow pond, or even roadside ditch. Theremay be as many as 20,000 eggs laid at a time. Thenew tadpoles stay as tadpoles until mid-summer. Therethey begin to change into adults. As winter approaches,toads begin looking for places in which to hibernate.The warm spring sun and longer days bring the toadsout of hibernation. Then the whole cycle begins again.Although they may look ugly and have had a Òbadrap,Ó toads are one of the mostbeneficial crittershopping aroundPennsylvania!www.fish.state.pa.usillustration-Tom Duran Jr.FowlerÕs toad