Western Toad

Fascinating facts about the Western Toad

• A female can lay up to 17,000 eggs that stick together in strings along water edges, creating massive gelatinous clusters. The eggs are deposited in shallow water, usually no deeper than 12 inches and at least 6 inches deep, where warmth speeds development. They are laid in strings of 13 to 52 eggs per inch, forming masses that can contain up to 16,500 eggs per clutch.
• In a Colorado hibernaculum the air stayed just above freezing at about 39.2 °F (4.0 °C), allowing toads to survive the deep winter snow. The site was a natural chamber near a small stream bed where a high water table and constantly flowing water kept temperatures stable. Emergence occurred after a few days of warm weather that melted snow and raised the chamber temperature. This micro-habitat provides just enough heat to keep the toads alive through the cold months.
• Western toads can survive in water that is 40 % seawater, but exposure to 50 % seawater kills them within a week. Laboratory tests showed they tolerate the lower salinity, yet the higher concentration proves lethal in a short period. This tolerance indicates a degree of physiological flexibility, though it is far below the levels found in most marine environments.
• During the breeding season males gather on the shallow water edge and keep a distance of at least one foot from each other, all turned toward the shore while calling. In western Montana this behaviour was observed as early as 11 May, with dozens of males occupying the same pond by mid-month. Male western toads return to breed each year and often defend their chosen spot when suitable sites are scarce.
• Female western toads have been documented reaching ten to eleven years of age, which is unusually long for an amphibian of their size. In Colorado populations the maximum recorded age approaches nine years, indicating that many individuals survive multiple breeding cycles. Their longevity is supported by a life history that includes several years to reach sexual maturity and the ability to hibernate through harsh winters.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

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