Late Spawning Common Toads!
Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: Herpetofauna Native to the UK
Forum Name: Common Toad
Forum Description: Forum for all issues concerning Bufo bufo
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3868
Printed Date: 24 Apr 2024 at 12:05am
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Topic: Late Spawning Common Toads!
Posted By: Adderz
Subject: Late Spawning Common Toads!
Date Posted: 07 Sep 2011 at 11:18am
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Hi All,
I just wondered if anyone else has seen or heard of Common Toads spawning in late summer? And if so does anyone know how common an occurence it is?
I have recently help create some ponds on a country park in the central belt of scotland. The ponds were created in mid-May and when we went back in July to take a look there were at least a couple of lots of toad spawn. I myself have never come across this before? There is an existing pond not far away which had toads spawning at the "normal" time earlier this year and so it is not like they have been denied a breeding pond until now.
The tadpoles are developing really quick and some have already left the pond, which I guess is a benefit of spawning so late. The one lot of spawn is alot further behind and not sure if the tadpoles will metamorphose before winter. Can toad tadpoles overwinter in ponds? I myself have never found them to.
Cheers
Rob
------------- I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left.... |
Replies:
Posted By: Donny
Date Posted: 08 Sep 2011 at 5:56pm
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A lot of atypical animal behavior seems to get reported here doesn't it? I used to hear what sounded exactly like male common toads calling on and off in the evening all through summer at a pond near where I grew up, but the shallows of the pond in question were surrounded by really deep dangerous mud so I never got to verify with a sighting. |
Posted By: Adderz
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2011 at 8:18pm
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Cheers Donny,
It is good to take note of these quirky occurences with our species. I take it from the lack of replies that not many people have come across this before? I wonder if the reason the toads spawned in July was because they were in poor condition in the normal breeding season (immediately after winter) and needed to build up their reserves first? Or that they were young females and only became sexually mature in mid season?
Just a couple of thoughts.
Cheers
Rob ------------- I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left.... |
Posted By: will
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2011 at 5:07pm
| Hi Rob; I once saw a pair in amplexus in Cornwall in late July, and thought it unusual enough to photograph them in front of the day's newspaper to prove the occurrence. I wonder if the mild climate there allowed them to spawn twice in the season. I think natterjacks can spawn more than once in a season, but this would be an adaptation to a habitat in which the first spawn could be left high and dry as the shallow slacks dry out, not something you'd have a problem with if spawning in the deeper water favoured by B Bufo, so for me your obs is a real oddity! |
Posted By: Brian
Date Posted: 16 Sep 2011 at 9:17am
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I found spawning common toads in the Jura in France (in the vicinity of Besancon) in early August sometime around 1987. This was not at high altitude and I put it down to a quirk. Regarding their tadpoles over wintering I have never found toad tadpoles in a pond in the autumn. Whereas common frogs can suffer growth inhibition when over crowded, lingering in the ponds until the winter, with toads it appears that they either grow and metamorphose, or die off/get predated. ------------- BB |
Posted By: sussexecology
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2011 at 7:40pm
I just had the same thought as you Rob when reading this post that it's probably to do with the mild weather. Could this be an example of a species adapting to our current climate? Could it also be possible that the toads had a poor breeding season earlier in the year, and so taking advantage of the mild weather now? |
will wrote:Posted By: herpetologic2
Date Posted: 12 Dec 2011 at 6:11pm
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We had spawning in Oxford - though toad spawning in July is not particularly late for Scotland is it? ------------- Report your sightings to the Record Pool http://recordpool.org.uk" rel="nofollow - http://arguk.org/recording |
Posted By: Adderz
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2012 at 3:28pm
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Interesting stuff....... I am in the central belt of Scotland and although we are a wee bit colder up here I wouldn't have thought it was that much of a difference. I have never seen toad spawn in July (or even June for that matter) before. Anyways, I checked on the pond before any real cold weather hit in mid November and there were a few toad tadpoles still present so it will be interesting to see if any survive the winter. The mild winter we have had will give them as good a chance as any (if indeed they can overwinter). Cheers Rob ------------- I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left.... |
Posted By: Caleb
Date Posted: 23 May 2012 at 2:35pm
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I've just seen toads and spawn in a pond in Gateshead- almost two months later than another pond about a mile from it. The latest I've previously seen spawn in the NE was 26th April (in 2008). I'm guessing this is a late spawning rather than a second one... (And yes, July IS particularly late for Scotland. It's not beyond the arctic circle!) |
Posted By: will
Date Posted: 23 May 2012 at 5:16pm
| very interesting! natterjacks seem to be able to hold off spawning, but this could be something new for common toads. I have noticed that newts deprived of the chance to breed due to dry ponds in March entered ponds in late April once they refilled and busily started making up for lost time, courting and egg laying. Presumably the toad pond wasn't dry earlier in the season, given that they tend to breed in permanent waterbodies, or am I wrong? |
Posted By: Caleb
Date Posted: 24 May 2012 at 2:54pm
| No, it wasn't dry earlier in the season, and it is a permanent pond. My last visit was 22nd Feb, and it was full then- no sign of toads at that point though. |
Posted By: Caleb
Date Posted: 29 May 2012 at 9:53am
| I've just been told that there's been toad spawn seen in Hartlepool within the last couple of weeks as well. |
Posted By: Iowarth
Date Posted: 19 Jun 2012 at 5:47pm
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Well, mine weren't late - and just wasted half an hour very enjoyably watching little black matchstalk men clambering out of the pond (they always ignore the nice gentle slopes and go up one of about 75 degrees!) Chris ------------- Chris Davis, Site Administrator Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: 20 Jun 2012 at 10:23am
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My brother in Yorkshire has watched several ponds for 40 years and there is always, what he refers to, as a 'second wave' of toads to spawn. Roughly the first lot arrive about the third week in March and the second lot about 3 weeks later.
------------- Suz |
Posted By: Chris Monk
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2012 at 10:44pm
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Is this extra late spawning for this year or extra early for next spring? Last weekend on a hot sunny Sunday a friend of mine with decades of amphibian surveying and other wildlife recording visited a disused quarry on the edge of the White Peak at Wirksworth and in a pond on site found 1 new string of toad spawn.
------------- Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
Posted By: will
Date Posted: 14 Sep 2012 at 7:14am
| very interesting Chris; I would love to know if this turns out to be fertile, in which case suggesting some kind of synchronicity amongst at least two toads, possibly more in the population, or the result of a single female, for whatever reason, depositing her spawn unusually early or late. Could the string be put in a tank so its progress could be monitored over the next week or two? |
Posted By: Chris Monk
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2012 at 3:10pm
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Will Paul didn't tell me the exact location of this pond and its a very large disused quarry (I did find out it wasn't the pond I know in the hollow where the crushers used to stand) so it's unlikely that the spawn will be collected now. Also a friend at work also had the frogs splashing around and calling in his garden pond last week just like mating time in the spring. However there was no spawn, which makes the toad spawn all the more unusual, as you say you need a male and a female in breeding condition for viable spawn. ------------- Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
Posted By: will
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2012 at 4:28pm
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Hi Chris I've heard the odd frog croaking in autumn but certainly not mass thrashing about as you describe. Another interesting obs. On thinking about the toadspawn string further, I guess that if the ova themselves in the jelly appeared dark in colour, that would suggest they were fertile (rather than the white colour you tend to get with infertile spawn) - all of which makes me even more curious (but spawn best left alone if in a big quarry, I guess!) |