Bufo terrestris 145 



Night or day. 

 April 23. Croaking in chorus in cypress ponds. Air 58°- water 60°. Began 



about 8:00 or 9:00 p. m. Went over at 10:00 p. m. Caught two mated pairs of 



Bufo. Took several males and one female. Brought these back. Mated two 



males with two females, expect four pairs tomorrow morning. 

 April 24. The male and female of a pair if not yet laying are when taken out of 



the water often given to urinating for protection. . . . Fifteen pairs in an 



area 6 feet square. Sun very bright. 

 May 15. Rather cool. Toads are travelling everywhere. 

 May 16. Crosby Pond at night. In the pond are no end of Bufo terrestris. Several 



mated pairs. 

 June 4. Everywhere in road home were toads. Hear plenty in lumber quarters. 



It was 70° last night when I returned. In Bufo pond were more Bufo terrestris 



than any night yet. 

 July 3. (In overflow area north of camp). Here in these temporary grassy 



pools were no end of Bufo terrestris, pairs and single toads. 



Amplexation. Normally the amplexation is axillary. The last two fingers 

 are not dug into the axil and often rest on the arm insertion of the female. 



But, as with other toads, abnormal embraces are not unusual in this 

 species. On April 24, 192 1, we saw one lone male embracing the floating 

 rootstock of Pontederio. This male on the Pontederia root could be pulled 

 along or the root floated yet he would not let go. 



Or, supra-axillary embraces may occur, e.g., June 7, 192 1, "The male 

 Bufo in camp of a mated pair is so small its embrace is supra-axillary. Had 

 dug into sides of female at least 1/3- to 1/2 inch above arm insertion almost 

 straight back from the tympanum and a little below middle of the parotoid." 



Or subaxillary fashion may obtain. On July 3, 192 1, we have the note. 

 "In one mated pair of Bufo small male mating regular axillary fashion and 

 slightly back of axilla of small female. A large male holding a small female 

 behind fore hmbs and its hands on the breast of the female and almost 

 touching." 



Occasionally a toad will attempt to embrace a meadow frog or leap at it. 

 When toads are breeding where Hyla gratiosa are, the impetuous toad males 

 will annoy the croaking Hylas considerably or any other Hyla or frog near 

 its size. 



OVULATION 



Habitat. In 192 1 we generally concluded that they preferred cypress 

 ponds, but the following notes will give some idea of some other habitats 

 found : 



April 24. We captured some in recently dug post holes. After rain a night ago 



these toads began to assemble in the ponds. 

 April 24. Moonshine pond. At its north end shallow and amongst the gums 



plenty of toads calling. 

 May 9. Toads in cypress bay wooded swampy edge of island and also at 



Billy's Lake where railroad spur goes across it. 

 May 16. Crosby pond. No end of toads. Some would float on surface of pond. 



Many a toad would perch at base of a cypress tree or on a log or on a cypress 



stub 3-8 inches above the water. Several mated pairs in water 4 inches to i 



foot deep. Flashlighted only toads. 



