Green Toad

Bufo viridis

Crapaud vert

The Green Toad is medium sized, 5 to 8cm for males, 7 to 9 cm for females, horizontal oval pupil, the iris being a grey green streaked and mottled with black. The skin on the back is warty, marked with green spots and splashes against a background colour of grey, pink or brown and can have a marbled effect.. Occasionally they will be poorly marked and could be confused with a Common Toad. Rear legs are rather short.

Photo. Green Toad. (. http://www.marekszczepanek.pl/ )

It is mainly a species of North Africa, the Near East and Eastern Europe. In France it is very localised, only known to be present in Alsace on the Rhine plain, Lorraine in the border zone with Germany and in some old sand excavation works in Doubs. It is also present in Corsica where there are reasonable populations, mainly in the coastal regions where it occupies narrow zones, estuaries, dunes and wetlands. In France it is found in dry, open, scrubby places often in urban zones including gardens, roadsides and old sand or gravel workings. Its aquatic habitat is in full sun, usually with shallow banks and few, if any, fish present.

Diet is generally comprised of insects, worms, spiders and small snails.

Hibernation takes place from October until March when reproduction commences immediately and can continue until July. The eggs are laid with between 2 and 4 rows in strings which are 2 to 5 metres long; these tend to fall to the bottom in a depth of about 30 cm. Hatching takes place from mid April and full metamorphosis from mid July.