BUFO CALAMITA LAURENTI, 1768
RUNNING TOAD

Order Ecaudate Amphibious - Anura Rafinesque, 1815 (or Ecaudata Scopoli, 1777, or Leaping - Salientia Laurenti, 1768)

Toad Family - Bufonidae Gray, 1825

Toad Genus - Bufo Laurenti, 1768

The genus comprises 255 species which are distributed cosmopolitanly excluding Antarctica, Australia, New Guinea and adjacent islands, as well as the Arctic region. Running Toad, Bufo calamita Laurenti, 1768, is often found in Europe together with two other toad species inhabiting Ukraine: Grey, Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758), and Green, Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768, Toads. Running Toad is a monotypic species, its habitat is in Central and Western Europe north of the Alps and Balkan Mountains reaching as far as southern Sweden and England, in the east - as far as the Baltic countries and Kaliningrad Oblast, Belarus and western Belarus and western Ukraine, in the south - as far as northern Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic.

These toads are average in size; the length of the body is approximately 50-70 mm. The coloration of the upper part is prevailingly green and olive with dark green rounded spots. Usually, there is a light or yellow longitudinal line. The belly part of the body is light grey or grey and white with small dark spots, often of irregular shapes. One of the diagnostic characteristics which makes them different from Green Toads is development of similar pigmentation on the throat as well (Green Toads have no pigmentation). The pupil of the eye is horizontal, the ear-drum is developed. Bulging, rounded longitudinal poisonous glands - parotids - are located behind the eyes. Warts, sometimes with little spines, are scattered all over the whole upper part of the body. Paired arthrodial prominences develop at the bottom of the longest digit of a hind leg, the inner edge of the tarsus has a coriacerous fold. Sex dimorphism is manifested in the small size of males and their more prominent spines, development of curvaceous dark brown bulges - mating corns - on the first two-three digits of their fore legs, as well as an unpaired inner vocal resonator.

Status. II Category of the Red Book of Ukraine - "endangered species"; the species is also listed in the Appendix II of the Bern Convention ("animal species under special protection").

Biotopes. In Ukraine, Running Toads are found in forest-covered or open biotopes with light sandy soils. Usually, it’s dune areas, edges and clearings in pine forests. These toads also very often and willingly inhabit areas related to anthropogenic activity (parks, orchards, fields, vegetable gardens, sand-pits, etc.) yet, as a rule, there should be appropriate soils, shallow water bodies and open forest areas or similar things in place of former plantations.

Number and Tendencies to Change. According to the records of the spawning areas in Volyn, Rivne and Lviv oblasts, the number of Running Toads amounts to 21 to 112 toads/1000m² and after the reproduction season (mid July - August) from 1 to 12 toads/1000 m². While researching toads of this species in June 2004 in Lyubomil rayon, Volyn Oblast 2-3 km west of the village of Svityaz (N51°28.728', EO23°976') 5 toads were recorded during 1000-1500 m of the route.

Biological Characteristics. They become active in late March - early April, this term is determined by weather conditions of each year. Almost right after awakening, males inhabit spawning water bodies such as shallow waters, ponds, drains, puddles in sand-pits, etc. The reproduction season lasts approximately a month and longer (April - May). Each spawn laying has approximately 3-4 thousand spawn berries placed as two rows in paired spawn cords approximately 3 m long. Females usually place them in shallow water at the depth of 15-30 cm and attach them to subaquatic objects (plant leaves, branches, etc.). Appearance of larvae usually happens in 5-6 days though the minimum term of embryo development can be as limited as two days. The whole metamorphosis lasts 1.5-2 months and mass release of the young of the current year falls on late June - July. After the reproduction season, animals leave water bodies and switch to dusk and night activity. For daytime shelters they use various places, including piles of stones, leaf bedding, brushwood, they are also able to bury themselves in the soil. Relatively similar shelters they use for winter hibernation as well.