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Mifwife toads in Devon |
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ngreen
Member Joined: 14 May 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: 14 May 2010 at 10:02am |
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I am trying to find out more about midwife toads in Devon. Several references from ARC/ARG/RAUK state that they are present in Devon, one saying south Devon, but the Local Records Centre has no record and no one knows where this information has come from. I'd be grateful if anyone could shed some light.
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mhows
Member Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 20 |
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In 1954, the third Viscount Anthony Chaplin released several species of animals into his walled garden at Wadstray House (Owned by Lord Chaplin from 1951 until his death in 1981) at Blackawton, near Totnes in Devon. Two egg carrying [Midwife toad] males from the London Zoological Gardens were released at Black Oughton [Blackawton is the location of Wadstray Ho.], Totnes, in South Devon by Viscount Chaplin in the mid 1950's. This colony existed until the early 1970's but has not been heard of since. ( P Nicholson, Teignbridge District Council, 1985)
Mark |
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mhows
Member Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 20 |
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There is a healthy population in the south of Oundle, locally common but not particularly dispersed. They breed in garden ponds, they are easily heard during the right season. Robert Brocklehurst / family introduced them to Oundle and Worksop from the Bedford colony in the 1950's Mark Some pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/8209127@N04/4622588102/in/set-7 2157612155046196/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8209127@N04/4621981485/in/set-7 2157612155046196/
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Hi Mark
I notice that you assign the UK midwife toads to Alytes cisternasii rather than the traditional Alytes obstetricans on your Alien Invaders website - is this now generally accepted? Cheers Will |
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mhows
Member Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 20 |
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No idea, I was told they were cisternasii, but happy to be corrected if that is incorrect as I am no expert on taxonomy. Mark |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Me neither! It's just that they're always referred to as the 'commoner' species 'obstetricans' which is the one found just over the Channel in France, rather than the Iberian species. Apparently the critical feature is the presence of 3 tubercles on the 'palm' of each hand in obstetricans, and only 2 with cisternasii. I guess this could be worth checking on UK populations (although of course you wouldn't then be legally allowed to let them go..)
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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Thanks for that - here's one from Herts, which certainly looks like obstetricans to me:
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