1324 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



CALIFORNIA TOAUS 

 The toads arc set prepatory to catching the meal-worms. 



TAME CALIFORNIA TOADS. 

 By Richard Deckert. 



FROGS and toads are known by everyone 

 who has observed them in their natural 

 environment to be shj^^, secretive and 

 easily frightened. They will, as a rule, bow 

 their heads, at the same time squatting low 

 and drawing the limbs close to their body in 

 an effort at concealment, as if aware of the pro- 

 tection afforded them by the harmony of their 

 neutral tints with their surroundings. Again 

 do they seek protection in precipitate flight, 

 diving into the nearest brook or pond, or hop 

 ping into the dark depths of surrounding veg- 

 etation. 



These traits are the more understood when 

 one considers that these practically defenseless 

 animals are the favorite prey of snakes, owls, 

 hawks, skunks, cats, weasels, crows, chickens, 

 storks, herons and many other repacious hunt- 

 ers. Even bears do not disdain the dainty 

 morsel that a fat frog presents, and last, but 

 not least, comes the omnipresent small boy with 

 air rifle, slung-shot and "bean shooter." 



Among the numerous frogs and toads on ex- 

 hibition in the Reptile House there are a num- 

 ber that have quite overcome their natural tim- 

 idity. The lack of hiding places, combined 

 with the protection afforded them by the glass 

 walls of their vivariums, appears to have ac- 

 customed them to the constant movement of 

 visitors near their cages. 



Boldest of all are the California toads, {Biifo 

 halophilus), from the Pacific Coast. This is 

 the largest North American species of toad, 

 often exceeding five inches in length of head 



and body combined. It has a satiny skin cov- 

 ered with numerous round, sm.ooth warts ; 

 large, intelligent eyes and short, muscular arms 

 and legs. Owing to the shortness of its limbs, 

 this toad prefers walking or ritnning to hopping 

 in regular toad fashion. 



When the cover is removed from their vivar- 

 ium, these toads look up, even stretching up- 

 ward in expectation of food. When the feeding 

 is done from the front, after the glass has been 

 raised, they will invariably come forward, tak- 

 ing the food from one's hand, and often seizing 

 a finger or the edge of the hand in their eager- 

 ness to dine. Of course no harm is done, as 

 toads have no teeth, and the pressure of the 

 toothless jaws, although firm enough to hold 

 struggling insects, can not injure the human 

 hand. When one of these queer animals seizes 

 a large earth-worm, the antics gone through in 

 the effort to master the long, strong and slip- 

 pery prey, appear quite ludicrous. 



The worm is often seized somewhere near the 

 middle, when it begins to squirm and twist in 

 an effort to free itself. With its "hands" the 

 toad tries to convey the protruding parts of the 

 worm into its mouth. Sometimes as fast as an 

 inch of worm is shoved into the capacious mouth 

 on one side, equalh^ fast does it squirm and slip 

 out of the other. Finally, becoming tired of 

 this seemingly useless procedure, the toad re- 

 solves to put all his energy into one supreme 

 effort. He then puts both "hands" up to his 

 mouth, "fingers" outspread and palms turned 

 outward, lowers his head and butts the worm 

 against the ground, until finally he succeeds, 

 with much winking and blinking of eyes, in 

 subduing his refractory prey. 



