European green toad
Toad ( from Russia; nominate )
The green toad (Bufo viridis complex; occasionally [ controversial ]: Pseudepidalea viridis complex), also called Green Toad, a Froschlurch from the kind of Real Toads is within the family of toads ( Bufonidae ). The current concept is not a single biological species, but a species group of several evolutionary lines. In Europe alone can therefore probably five different forms separate. The exact systematic position and delimitation of these taxa is currently still partly unclear.
Features
The size of the males reaches eight, those of the females and nine (ten) centimeters. While the color of the male is rather light gray, it is almost white in females. Both are covered with green island spots ( in the male somewhat " washed-out " ) that are missing only on the belly. Usually are reddish warts on the flanks of the females. For interpretation of the name " toad " is either referred to the changing speckle pattern or can customize their color depending on the environment from light to dark or vice versa on the ability of the animals. The pupils are horizontal, the iris is lemon yellow to greenish. As with all genuine toads has the kind ear glands ( parotid glands ) behind the eyes. On the top of many, not pronounced are warts.
Reproduction
The generated with a fillet - vocal sac, nocturnal mating call of the male is an ongoing, not very far carrying trills ( " ürrr "), which is gradually louder and higher. Between the trills there are longer pauses. Often the call is confused with the the mole cricket.
The spawning cords that are often placed on the sea bottom, are usually two to four meters long, depending on the strain. The brown to black eggs are two to four rows in this gelatinous Hüllschnur and may include a maximum of 2000 to 15,000. Their diameter is approximately one to 1.5 millimeters.
The dorsal coloration of the tadpoles is brownish to greenish - gray; their fin edges are light even before the metamorphosis that takes three to four months after hatching, a faint green spot pattern is visible. Finally, they reach a total length of up to 50 millimeters.
Habitat
The toad is well adapted as eastern steppe species and Mediterranean faunal element to drought and heat. It prefers open, sun-exposed, dry, warm habitats with grave enabled floors and partially missing, lückiger grass and herbaceous vegetation. It is therefore especially on ruderal sites, found in dry fallow land in fields and Abgrabungsflächen. You away sometimes very far from open water. Toads are primarily nocturnal. The spawning grounds are flat and vegetationsarm, for example in quarries. As spawning temporary waters are preferred with mineral soil. The toad tolerates a slightly elevated salinity of the spawning grounds of more than ten per thousand. Thus, the larvae are capable of development in brackish water ponds on the Baltic Sea. The ecological requirements of the species are similar to those of the more popular west atlantic and natterjack toad.
Dissemination and taxa
The species Bufo viridis group of the complex is continental Mediterranean ago in Central Europe, in South, Southeast and Eastern Europe, on many Mediterranean islands and to Central Asia and North Africa. In the Balearic Islands, the species was probably introduced in the Bronze Age mythological reasons by humans. The northernmost stocks in Europe there is at the southern tip of Sweden, on some Danish islands as well as in Estonia and Russia. In Germany, the toad is patchy and lacks widespread among others throughout the Northwest and in the extreme south. In Austria, most representatives in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland lies; the hill country is largely avoided.
Currently in Europe five forms are differentiated within the toad species circle: Bufo viridis viridis ( nominate, from the Rhineland in the west to western Russia in the east, north-east Italy, entire Balkan Peninsula south to Crete, west and north of the Black Sea ), Bufo variabilis (apparently disjunct in the western Baltic Sea region with east Holstein, Denmark and southern Sweden, in southern Greece without Crete, Cyprus, south and east of the Black Sea as well as in middle East and Central Asia to the western Iran as well as to North Kazakhstan), Bufo boulengeri ( North Africa and island of Lampedusa ), Bufo balearicus (Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and the Balearic Islands) and Bufo siculus (Sicily and some offshore islands ). In addition as a purely Asiatic form Bufo turanensis with properties in Southern Turkmenistan and northern Iran.
The generic name Pseudepidalea recently used by some authors is controversial, among other things, pointing out that toads can hybridize with natterjack toads ( rarely also Common toads ), but among representatives of different genres should not really be the case.
Threats and conservation
As Pionierbesiedler vegetation poor dry biotopes with smaller, often sporadic water retention toads suffer from the lack or too rapid drying out of appropriate spawning grounds and under the bush encroachment and shading their habitats. Particularly affected are but of interventions such as reclamation or reuse of derelict land and former soil degradation pits. Even artificial fish stocking in small water bodies at risk some stocks.
Legal protection status (selection)
- Fauna-Flora -Habitat Directive ( FFH Directive ) Annex IV ( strictly protected species )
- Federal Nature Conservation Act ( Federal Nature Conservation Act ): strictly protected
National Red List classifications (selection)
- Red List Federal Republic of Germany: 3 - endangered
- Red List of Austria: VU (corresponds endangered)
- Red List of Switzerland: RE ( the species is extinct here )