Toads spawning by the sea.

Suzy wrote: Do you think the pools would get a dose of seawater if the sea was rough?

They would certainly get a dose of salt water quite regularly especially at high tide but the fresh water stream that feeds the pools should soon dilute any in a very short time.

superdart wrote: Suzy wrote: Do you think the pools would get a dose of seawater if the sea was rough?  They would certainly get a dose of salt water quite regularly especially at high tide but the fresh water stream that feeds the pools should soon dilute any in a very short time.

Same goes for my sighting i would say - on both points. Just like Superdart's location, there was a source of fresh water close by, although it was no more than a tiniest of trickles.

Hi Keith.

I did feel that if the long, dry spell continued, the tadpoles, in their rapidly diminishing breeding 'ponds', were probably doomed. However, i couldn't have moved them even if i wanted to because i didn't have the means: eg no net, no identified, suitable receptor site in mind and no time to do it either.
Plus there's the risk of potentially spreading infectious disease elsewhere.

I found this paragraph on the website of the Natural History Society of Northumbria

"Toads and their tadpoles are also able to tolerate slightly brackish water where other amphibians cannot. They can be found in sand dune pools and other ponds that receive sea spray, such as cliff top ponds, salt marshes and where freshwater streams reach the sea, such as at Castle Eden Dene mouth."

http://www.nhsn.ncl.ac.uk/news/cms/common-toad/

Perhaps someone from there can comment?


Edited by Suzy - 05 May 2015 at 8:58am

yes, I remember that - they were feasting on sandhoppers I think, but I can't remember the name of the programme either!

that's exactly the one I had in mind when Caleb mentioned it - thanks Suz - common toads plus sandhoppers, the former looking as if they are in a natterjack-copying contest!