■f?« - 2 - 



■» it 



middle of November. Dui'ing the winter months they hibernate in the ground, 

 and statements regarding their being found under Ijavos , boards or stones 

 probably refer to temporary refuges sought aft^r a too hasty emergence in 

 spring or before beginning their real hibernation in fall. The toad makes 

 its burrow with its hind legs and always goes dovm bacloyards; the hind feet 

 possess a spur which is of assistance in digging. As the animal derjcends, 

 the dirt fills in over its head. It was formerly thought that toads burrowed 

 down into the mud around ponds and became encysted in balls of clay. It ha:s 

 been found that those toads which fail to burrow belov the frost line perish. 

 Newton has foujid also by a series of well-conducted experiments that the 

 toad usually digs deop^r as the frost level comes nearer to it. Terrestrial 

 amphibians can tolerate high tompcraturu with moisti-ure, but they quickly 

 succiimb to cold and drought. Toads, v^liich poss-^s drier skins than frogs, 

 habitually avoid the sunshine, and conceal themselves c'uring the day in holes 

 or crevices. 



CHECKS ON THE IWCEMSE IN NUMBEHS OF TOADS. 



The common toad formerly was rather abundant in almost every locality 

 throughout its range where sufficient cover existed for concealment during 

 the day. To-day, in some sections, toads are becoming very rare, being 

 destroyed by all classes of vertebrates, and by dro^jght in sunmer, and severe 

 cold in winter. 



With the settlement of the country the toad has had to contend not only 

 with man's inventions but also T/ith his domesticated animals. Young toads are 

 diurnal and thus expose themselves to more enem.ies than do the adults. Ducks, 

 chickens, and guinea fowls -eat the yoiing whenever they find them hopping about 

 in the gardens, roadsides, or meadows; and young snakes find baby toads an easy 

 prey. The sewer systems of the large cities destroy large numbers. Adult toads 

 are mainly crepuscular or nocturnal in their feeding :-nd are attracted to the 

 public highways by the lights of passing automobiles , v.-hich also have contributec 

 to their destruction. The burning over of the fields and woods in fall is j: 

 causing a steady decrease in their numbers. *' 



A water beetle has been known to eat nearly 5fOOO toad larvae in a 

 single day. Newts, or sal.ainanders, and fishes also d.,str:)y large numbers of the 

 young larvae. From th^, time the eggs are laid, vvhea th-..y may be spoiled by 

 decay or by mold (Saorolegnnia) , -jntil death of adults .jf eld age, there is no 

 period when larva or adult is not subject to attack. I'Tlaen ponds dry up during 

 Me^y and June, large n'ombors of tadpoles are killed. Manj^ yeiong toads which 

 have just emerged perish beforu they find some damp sl'.eltered r^.treat. Probably 

 iiiany of the young succu.ib during severe cold in wint,.r because they do not 

 buxrov/ so deep in the soil as do the more experienced and stronger adults. 



LONGEVITY 



In spite of thu dangers and natural enemies they arc exposed to, some 

 toads live for many years. One account, V7hich is no doubt authentic, concerns 



