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Bufo bufo spinosus (Common Toad)


Bufo bufo spinosus (Common Toad)
Photo Information
Copyright: Bayram Gocmen (boreocypriensis) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3390 W: 142 N: 4009] (10566)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-05
Categories: Amphibians
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5400
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Turkish Herpetofauna [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-03-20 16:49
Viewed: 632
Points: 50
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Bufo bufo (Common Toad)[in Turk. Siğilli Kurbağa, local name "Kazan Kurbağası"]

This toad is found over most of Europe except Ireland, Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearics, Malta, Crete, Cyprus and some other smaller islands. It is also distributed in NW Africa and W Asia with a vertical distribution changing between the sea level and 3000 m.

It is the the largest toad species in Europe and Turkey. Adults up to 15cm long, but there is geographical variation in size and females are larger than males. It is heavily built with a horizontal pupil, very warty skin and prominent paratoid glands (in the posterior of eyes) that are slightly oblique. Eye is deep gold or copper-coloured. Males do not have external vocal sac. Dorsum usually brownish, but varying from sandy to almost brick-red, rich dark brown, greyish or occasionally olive. Tends to be fairly uniformly coloured, but may have darker blotches and patches. Belly usually is whitish or grey, often with darker marbling.

In Turkey, animals from the near areas to Mediterranean ecozone, i.e., the south of Turkish Thrace and W Anatolia (B. b. spinosus) are often very large and has spinier skins as seen in my capture. The nominate species (B. b. bufo) lives in Central Anatolia. Toads from the NE Anatolia with less contrasting colouring and smaller wart like “verruca” are named B. b. verrucosimus.

The vocalization of the males is similar to dog pup yelping. The male 'release' calls is being most often heard at night. This is a not very powerful, rather high-pitched rough 'qwark-qwark-qwark', about 2-3 syllables a second, or more. The actual mating call is slower and the syllables are longer. It is found in a wide variety of often fairly dry habitats. It is mainly nocturnal, hiding by day, usually in one particular spot, and emerging around dusk. Normally walks, but hops when alarmed. When approached by predators may assume characteristic posture with the head down, and the hindquarters raised. Forages nocturnally, predating on insects, earthworms and some mollusks. During the breeding period they move to small pools or ponds. Males usually arrive first and stop for several weeks while females visit just long enough to find a mate and lay their eggs. Males are very enthusiastic and will sometimes clasp fish or inanimate objects; several of them may attach to the same female forming a ball of up to a dozen animals. Males often fight for females rather than attracting them by calling. Large females lay their eggs in two parallel strings and the average number of eggs in a double string is around 5,000-8,000. Eeach produced string swell to 5-10mm thick and are up to 5m long. They are often laid over several hours among the stems of aquatic vegetation, frequently in sunny situations. The eggs often develop in 2-3 weeks and the tadpoles swim in dense swarms that can be several metres long. Newly metamorphosed toads are very small, just 7-12mm, and are quite diurnal in their initial stages of their development. Reaching sexual maturity may take 3-7 years and their average life time is around 15-20 years.

Bayram
jaycee, xTauruSx, zulfu, montivipera, gerbilratz, bahadir, mariki, nkasot, SelenE, Silvio2006, jpdenk, kaytan, haraprasan, matatur, CeltickRanger, yasemin, cypturk has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To CeltickRanger: Hello Asbedboreocypriensis 1 03-27 15:10
To matatur: Selam Hocaboreocypriensis 1 03-22 04:31
To gracious: Hello Friend Tonyboreocypriensis 1 03-21 01:43
To Gert-Paassen: hello Gertboreocypriensis 1 03-21 01:41
To jaycee: Hello my dear Friend Janeboreocypriensis 1 03-20 17:20
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1658 W: 8 N: 4248] (13845)
  • [2008-03-20 17:02]
  • [2] [+]

Hi Bayram,

This Frog is really close-up. We can see every wart. His eyes look so heavy - he must be sleepy. Nice details and colors and the green grass is a good contrast. In August the Colorado Toads will make their appearance in Tucson. Those are the only frogs I have seen here. Nothing cute about them - they are big, ugly and posionous.

Jane

Çok güzel bir çekim hocam, dikensi siğiller özellikle göze çarpıyor. Larvaları da WS de koymanız çok güzel olmuş. Elinize sağlık. İyi geceler.
Deniz

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 455 W: 0 N: 69] (488)
  • [2008-03-20 18:11]

Elinize sağlık hocam, nefis bilgiler ve fotoğraflarla siğilli kurbağa hakkında pek çok şeyi sunmuşsunuz. Selamlar.
Mehmet

Excellent capture. Your notifications also very informative. I am sorry if didnt mention it before, which i appreciate as they are not simply copied fom wiki. I believe toads in here are from nominate subspecies, i have seen quite colorful and plain colored ones like here both.

Merhaba Bayram,
Selam!!
Thank you so much for the most informative notes regardsing this species that I first encountered!
This is a superb and fine image with such closeness!
very good sharpness, natural colour and so much details to view and enjoy!
many thanks for sharing and friendship!
greeting from NZ
Tony

Hi Bayram, great looking toad, so big and fat, lovely skin texture. Nice natural colouration. Great information as well. best regards h

very interesting and nice-ugly :) have a nice weekend, Ori

Hi Baram,

I've missed you all yesterday.
These Frog waiting for the princess to kiss her?

Good details on the frog with good sharpness.
Regards Gert

Bellissima immagine, ottimo POV, eccellenti i dettagli della pelle, molto belli e naturali i colori. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

:) hocam nefis kurbağa nefis çekim. Hantal hayvan olunca gel beni çek diyor resmen. Elinize sağlık.
Bahadır

Hello Bayram,

Very good picture of this toad. Good POV, DOF and focus. Very nice detail. Good reproduction of the texture of the skin and good natural colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Hi my dear supervisor, a perfect and splendid female of Bufo bufo with excellent details. I recorded the voices of Bufo viridis last light. All toads in Cyprus sent their best regards to you:). All the best.
Greetings from Cyprus.

Nazım

Totalmente desconocida por mí esa interesante y curiosa especie. Bien resuelta la toma a pesar de la dificultad para conseguir profundidad por la forma del animal.
Un abrazo: Josep Ignasi

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2301 W: 59 N: 3645] (11684)
  • [2008-03-21 2:34]

Merhaba Bayram Bey,
Cigborege benziyor...
Yine gormedigim ve bilmedigim bir turdu, detaylar cok guzel. Paylasiminiz icin tesekkurler
Selamlar

Magnifica criatura de qualidade muito boa foto exelente meus parabéns.
Nilson

Tüm özellikleriyle güzel bir kare. İyi beslenmiş bir örneğe benziyor, sanki hiç yerinden hereket edemeyecekmiş gibi... Ben de çok büyük örnekler görmüştüm önceden.
Aslında bugün ben de ilginç bir Bufo koyacaktım ama geçen sene çektiğim bir fotoğraftı ve o zaman makinam olmadığı için cep telefonuyla çekmek zorunda kalmıştım, kalitesiz bir fotoğraf olduğu için de koymak istememiştim. Ancak sizin güzel Bufo'nuzu görünce ben de çirkin bir tane koyayım dedim. Neden ilginç olduğunu fotoğrafta göreceksiniz.
Saygılar

Naşit

Hi Bayram, splendid toad with great details and excellent sharpness, beutiful colors, wonderful focus on eye, very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1286 W: 104 N: 4534] (20213)
  • [2008-03-21 8:32]

Wow! Great subject Bayram, a very good portrait of this toad, well seen and well photographed! Good job, thanks!

Mario

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1559 W: 233 N: 5222] (18351)
  • [2008-03-21 11:56]

I really love Toads!
I don't know what it is about them but I really like them :-)
Great wide-angle-type image of this whopper!
The warts and poison-glands are very clear.
Great detail and sharpness.
Superb POV.
Well done Geckoman!

Joe

Hi Bayram,
Atlast it is your field trip time. Hope you get some very nice and new creatures. A nice capture of this beautiful toad. Excellent sharp details and very good composition. Thanks a lot for sharing and happy photography.

Tüm doğal renkleri ve görünümü ile sevimli bir kazan kurbağası Bayram, eline sağlık.
Mehmet

Olá Bayram.

Bela imagem, acredito que ele não se sentiu muito avontade com sua presença né !
São uma espécie muito interessante e bem feios...
Boa nitidez e cores bem saturadas parabéns.

hello Bayram

superb close-up shot of this Toad, with a fine POV,
excellent density of the colours, excellent DOF,
great sharpness and specially great details of the Toad,

TFS

Asbed

Aman bu ne sisko kurbaga bayram. cok sevimli tombulcuk. derisindeki iskattorolar hep belli. eline saglik. Leyla

Beautiful photo of this chunky toad. Colours, sharpness and details are very good. Great composition... tfs.. cypturk

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