21 



Fig. 15. Palmar view of hand (left, CM 58412) and plantar view of feet (right, MCZ 16244) ofBufo 

 bufo. 



Variation 



The coloration varies between individuals from brown to 

 greyish, greenish, olivaceous, reddish, and mauve. The North 

 African populations are included in the subspecies spinosus 

 Daudin, 1803, occurring in southern Europe and characterized by 

 its large size and numerous warts. 



Ecology 



These toads live in humid areas near to permanent water. 

 They usually live in the mountains of North Africa, although 

 they also occur in the plains in northern Morocco. In the 

 Moroccan Atlas, they reach 2650 m. In Tunisia, they usually 

 live in areas of cork-oak forests. Their diet consist of 

 insects, specially orthopterans . 



Biology 



Life history data is poorly known for North African 

 populations. At 2650m in the Moroccan Atlas, breeding takes 

 place in spring, because by July only metamorphic or 

 metamorphosed individuals are found. 



Distribution 



Northern Algeria and northern Tunisia. In Morocco, they 

 occur in the Atlas, Rif, and northwestern plains (Fig. 16). 



