A report based on journal article



A report based on journal article

In the article “influence of temperature on the spatial distribution of first spawning dates of the common frog (Rana Temporaria) in the UK” the author Carroll has mentioned the fact that UK Phenology Network in 1998-2007 have collected around 70,000 records of first spawning dates for the most common frog (Rana Temporaria). Rana Temporaria is easily adapted to and, occurs across a wide range of climatic conditions (Carroll, Sparks, Collinson and Beebee, 2009).

The common toad is present in most of Europe except Ireland, Iceland and in the far north Scandinavia. Outside of Europe, few people live in northern Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. This Amphibious is the most common of all. It is part of the species of true toads "Bufo" and not just his European representative the most common, it is also the largest. It reaches a length (trunk to the head) of about 10 cm and females until 2 to 3 cm longer.

The male has an internal vocal sac, which sometimes occurs on the throat a bluish tinge. The legs are short that is to say that by folding the leg forward, the heel rarely exceeds the tip of the nose. They are marked with dark cross bars. The webs do not exceed half of the toes.

The body coloration is extremely varied. In general, the upper body is yellow-red to brownish-black, usually with dark spots, sometimes orange or red. The common frog is capable of mimicry by its color change slightly by contracting or dilating of black pigment cells beneath the skin. The sides are usually mottled or marbled. The underside is whitish-gray in the male, and spotted or clouded with red in the female. The throat is generally crossing a clear central band.

Breeding males have a flabby appearance, a throat pure white or bluish, grayish in color and general feature of strong arms. They wear dark brown nuptial pads on their thumbs or black. Females are larger, plumper even more clear that males with and without calluses darker inches. At the breeding season, they present beaded granules on their sides and legs (Tryjanowski, Sparks, Kamieniarz and Panek, 2009). The pustules that cover most of their bodies look like warts, but they are actually glands that secrete mucus which keeps their skin moist and preserves the elasticity. Other glands secrete a substance poisonous, protection against parasites and microorganisms and passive defense against predators. This venom is only dangerous in the jaws of predatory and mostly absorbed in the stomach, where it causes hypertension and paralysis and motor centers of the brain and spinal cord. The toad is inedible

Behind the head, at eye level, they have glands oblique, prominent, called parotid which also produce poisonous secretions. Already in antiquity the venom of toads were used for medicinal purposes. Apparently it is the oldest animal venom used by man. As for the choice of their habitat, common toads are very flexible, only 4 criteria are decisive:

The proposal of food, plenty ...