Reproduction

How does the European green toad produce its young?

Breeding season is variable across their range. It tends to fall between February and July.

At the beginning of this season they will gather at a spawning area. Males gather here first and begin to call in hopes they will attract a mate.

Unusually these frogs are able to feed in both fresh and brackish (semi-saline) water.

If they are successful the female will release her eggs and the male will fertilize these as they emerge. As many as 2000 eggs may be laid by each female.

Tadpoles will feed on algae and detritus. During the day they tend to remain close to the shore.

Sexual maturity in this species is highly variable. In some areas they reach this at 2 years old compared to others where it can be as late as 5 years old.

Behavior

What does the European green toad do with its day?

European green toads are primarily crepuscular or nocturnal. During the day they will seek shelter in a den which helps to maintain the humidity they need to survive. Throughout the breeding season it is more likely for them to be active during the day.

Much of the time of the European green toad is spent in a burrow underground.

These amphibians are highly tolerant of heat and show a tolerance to desiccation (death due to losing water). To keep cool they will sit in shallow water.

They will enter a period of hibernation in cold areas of their range. They may not complete this in the south of the range where temperatures are warm enough year round.

European green toads will regularly shed their skin and go on to eat it.

Credit: Public Domain

Predators and Threats

What is impacting the survival of the European green toad?

Natural predators of the European green toad include snakes, birds of prey, wading birds and some mammals. Tadpoles face more predators including the larvae of invertebrates and crustaceans.

When threatened they are able to let out a defensive cry and can also produce a foul odor from their parotoid gland.

These animals are considered relatively abundant in their range. In Switzerland they are considered extinct even though reintroduction efforts have been ongoing.

Their populations are threatened by the loss of breeding habitat primarily through wetland drainage, pollution and vehicle strikes.

Quick facts

The European green toad is also known as the emerald toad.

The viridis portion of their scientific name is a Latin reference to their coloration. European green toads are part of the family of true toads, bufonidae.

A group of these toads is known as a knot.