Sulawesian toad

Sulawesi toad ( Ingerophrynus celebensis )

The Sulawesi toad ( Ingerophrynus celebensis; syn. Bufo celebensis ) is a tropical Froschlurch from the toad genus or clade Ingerophrynus.

Features

Female Sulawesi toads reach a head -body length of 67-80 mm and a weight of 30-42 grams. Males with 48-59 millimeters significantly smaller and therefore with 10-19 grams, much easier. As with many other land-dwelling species of this family The webs are only moderately trained, that is, the last link of the longest toe is free. Adhesive discs at the finger ends are missing.

Distribution and habitat

The Sulawesi toad is endemic to Indonesia. Specifically, the large island of Sulawesi ( Celebes ) and several smaller outlying islands called Muna, Buton and Banggai be colonized. Their habitats are moist lowlands in forests, along rivers, freshwater lakes, freshwater marsh, cultivated soil, pastures, plantations and also the urban environment.

Way of life

The Sulawesi toad is mainly rural dweller. The spawn is deposited in waters where it is wound in the form of cords below the water surface to wood or roots.

Find the Sulawesi toad in foraging yellow spinner Ant ( Anoplolepis gracilipes ), it feeds mainly on her. This is remarkable, because the Yellow Spinner ant was introduced in the late 1970s as neozoon in the tropics and with the help of their formic acid can even defend themselves against much larger animals. Normally this is that introduced species on islands have no natural enemies and in particular pose a threat to the ecological balance instead. Through their feeding behavior toads may indirectly have a positive impact on the population of the native ant species and thus also on the control of diseases among the cocoa plants.