Far Eastern toad without water. Species: Bufo gargarizans = Far Eastern (gray) toad. Nutrition and lifestyle

IN Soviet times toads of the Russian Far East were considered a subspecies of the gray toad, and today they are considered a separate species, based on geographic isolation from other common toads, morphological, karyological and biochemical differences. There are 2 subspecies of the Far Eastern toad. The nominative subspecies occurs in Russia Bufo gargarizans gargarizans Cantor, 1842.

Appearance and structure

Very similar to the gray toad. It differs from it in its smaller size (body length 56-102 mm), the presence of spines on the outgrowths of the skin and a wide stripe running from the parotid gland to the side of the body, torn into large spots in the back. The eardrum is very small or covered with skin. The upperparts are dark grey, olive-gray or olive-brown with three wide longitudinal stripes. The underside of the body is yellowish or grayish, without a pattern or with small spots in the rear.

The signs of sexual dimorphism are the same as in the common toad. In addition, the male's back is often greenish or olive; Gray or brown spots on the back may be present. The female is larger than the male, her hind legs are relatively shorter and her head is slightly wider.

Distribution and habitat

Its range includes northeastern China, Korea and Russia. Range in Russia: Far East north to the Amur River valley. There the species is distributed from west to northeast from the mouth of the Zeya River to the mouth of the Amur in the Khabarovsk Territory. Inhabits Sakhalin and islands in Peter the Great Bay: Russky, Popova, Putyatina, Skrebtsova and others. Also known from the Baikal region.

The Far Eastern toad lives in forests of various types (coniferous, mixed and deciduous), as well as in meadows. Although she loves moist habitats, in shaded or waterlogged coniferous forests It is rare, but inhabits floodplains and river valleys. Can live in anthropogenic landscapes: in rural areas, as well as in parks and gardens of large cities (such as Khabarovsk). Not found in mountain tundras.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Far Eastern toads eat mainly insects, preferring hymenoptera and beetles.

They winter from September-October to April-May. They can winter both on land in underground cavities, under logs and tree roots, and in reservoirs.

Reproduction

Far Eastern toads spawn in lakes, ponds, swamps, puddles, oxbow lakes, ditches and streams with standing or semi-flowing water. They breed in April-May, in some places until the end of June. Occasionally, vapors may form on the way to the pond. Amplexus axillary. Like gray toads, it occasionally happens among Far Eastern toads that several males try to mate with one female, forming a ball of toads. To release sexual products at the same time, the male and female stimulate each other with tactile and vibration signals. The eggs are deposited in cords that wrap around underwater objects (mostly plants) at depths of up to 30 cm.

Date: 2011-05-31

I. Khitrov, Moscow

Toads They have always been popular among terrarium enthusiasts, especially those that come from the tropics. For some reason, it is believed that equatorial aborigines are more exotic, brighter and more interesting, and therefore more preferable for keeping at home.
However, attractive animals are not only found in tropical countries. On Far East, north of the Amur River, lives an amazingly beautiful toad. Previously, it was considered a subspecies of the common toad, but in Lately All researchers agree that this is a completely independent species. At one time the animal was called the Asian toad, but in latest works Another designation was finally established - the Far Eastern toad (Bufo gargarizans).
This is a medium-sized animal, up to 10 cm long. The color is gray or brown with three brighter stripes on top. There are wide dark stripes on the sides; the abdomen is light. Males are noticeably smaller than females and brighter in color.

Photo of Far Eastern toad

In nature Far Eastern toads inhabit the forest zone with high humidity, preferring deciduous forests. Active at dusk and at night, although rainy weather They are also found during the day, especially young individuals. After wintering, they appear at the end of April - early May, and after 1-2 weeks they begin to reproduce. Spawning is spread out over time and can last until June. Eating various types invertebrates; their diet is dominated by slow-moving land animals, such as slugs.
Terrarium for keeping Far Eastern toads equipped as a “corner of the forest”. The area required for two individuals is 40x25 cm. The soil is leafy soil covered with a layer of sphagnum or forest moss. Availability of shelters is required; in their absence, amphibians bury themselves in the ground. To decorate the terrarium, you can use stones, pieces of bark, tree cuts and live ones. Temperature - from 12 to 28°C; humidity - about 80%. It is advisable to spray it daily with cool (15-18°C) water; in this case, a pond is not necessary. Lighting is moderate, using fluorescent lamps.

Photo of Far Eastern toad

Various invertebrates are used for feeding. It is highly advisable to introduce earthworms and slugs into the diet. Toads quickly produce conditioned reflexes- for example, “knock on glass” - feed. After 2-3 weeks, the animals will get used to this signal and will gather at the feeder. You can teach them to take food from tweezers or from your hand.
To stimulate reproduction, artificial wintering is used with a decrease in temperature to 4-6°C or warm sprinkling (water temperature 30-35°C); the use of hormonal injections is also widely practiced.
The breeders, ready for spawning, are transferred to an inclined aquarium, partially filled with water. Caviar in the amount of several thousand (from 2000 to 7000) pieces is deposited in the form of cords. The water temperature in the spawning area is 12-18°C. Tadpoles hatch in 4-15 days, depending on the temperature, and leave the pond after about two months. They are fed scalded nettles, lettuce and dry food for herbivorous fish. After metamorphosis, the toads eat tubifex, bloodworms and small insects.

Species: Bufo gargarizans = Far Eastern (gray) toad

• Family: Bufonidae Gray, 1825 = (True) toads
• Genus: Bufo Laurenti, 1768 = Toads
• Species: Bufo gargarizans Cantor = Far Eastern (gray) toad

Order: Anura Rafinesque, 1815 = Tailless amphibians (amphibians)

Family: Ranidae Gray, 1825 = (True) frogs

Description and taxonomy. Body length 56-102 mm. very similar to B. Bufo; differs mainly in the presence of spines on the tubercles of the skin of the back and a wide stripe extending from the outer surface of the parotida to the side of the body. The eardrum is very small or covered with skin. The bumps on the skin of the back are large. Above, dark gray, olive-gray or olive-brown with three wide longitudinal stripes. Wide dark stripe passes from the inner surface of the parotida to the side of the body. This stripe in the rear is torn into large spots. The belly is grayish or yellowish, without a pattern or with small spots in the rear. Sex differences are the same as in B. bufo. In addition, the male's back is often greenish or olive; There may also be gray or brown spots on the back. The male is smaller than the female; the relative length of its hind legs is somewhat longer, and its head is somewhat narrower.
Taxonomy complex Bufo bufo remains largely unclear. In Soviet literature, gray toads of the Russian Far East were considered a subspecies of B. bufo. Currently, they are considered an independent species. this conclusion is based on geographic isolation from other common toads, differences in morphology, karyology and biochemistry. 2 subspecies are recognized. Bufo gargarizans gargarizans Cantor, 1842 lives in Russia.
Spreading. It lives in northeastern China, Korea and Russia. In Russia, inhabits the Far East to the north to the river valley. Amur. In this valley, the toad is distributed from west to northeast from the mouth of the river. Zeya (Amur region, environs of the city of Blagoveshchensk: 50o15" N, 127o34" E) to the mouth of the river. Amur in the Khabarovsk Territory (approx. 53o N, 140o E). Inhabits the entire island. Sakhalin and four islands in Peter the Great Bay: Popova, Putyatina, Russky and Skrebtsova. Gray toads are also known from the Baikal region (for example, Gumilevsky, 1932; Shkatulova, 1966). Populations from the Baikal region should belong to Bufo bufo, while individuals from Transbaikalia should belong to Bufo gargarizans (Kuzmin, 1999). Usually the south-eastern Transbaikalia (Chita region) is indicated as the area of ​​distribution, but several indications also apply to the western part (Buryatia, in particular, the vicinity of the city of Ulan-Ude). The last region deserves special attention in further research: specific points of findings have not been published; Some researchers suggest that references to "gray toads" in this region actually refer to the Mongolian toad (Bufo raddei), while gray toads are not found there. This is consistent with the absence of gray toads in the Red Book of Buryatia, although B. raddei, which should be much more numerous there, was listed in the Red Book of this republic. The zoogeographic relationships of these hypothetical populations with other parts of the range are unknown. Bufo gargarizans can penetrate into the lake basin. Baikal through the wooded part of Manchuria. In this case, these Transbaikalian populations should be related to populations Amur region Russia through the Chinese part of the species range. Special searches for gray toads in Transbaikalia are required.
Lifestyle. The Far Eastern toad inhabits the forest zone. Within its boundaries, the species lives in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests and on their edges, as well as in meadows. Although it prefers biotopes with high humidity, it is rare in shaded or waterlogged coniferous forests. At the same time, it is found in floodplains and river valleys. Does not avoid anthropogenic landscapes: it lives not only in rural areas, but also in parks and gardens major cities(for example, Khabarovsk: Tagirova, 1984). Absent in mountain tundras. On about. Sakhalin B. gargarizans is found in broadleaf (birch, poplar, etc.) and mixed forests, as well as in meadows and even hills with xerophilic vegetation (Basarukin, 1983). The Far Eastern toad inhabits the maximum diversity of biotopes in the south of its range - in southern Primorye. Reproduction occurs in lakes, ponds, swamps, puddles, oxbow lakes, ditches and streams with standing or semi-flowing water, usually with dense herbaceous vegetation. Population density is high. In the river valley Cupid is the third most abundant amphibian species (after frogs Rana nigromaculata and R. amurensis) (Tagirova, 1984). Density varies greatly from year to year. After frosty winters and severe droughts, abundance decreases.
Wintering from September - October to April - May. Cavities in the ground, between tree roots and under logs are used as land shelters (Emelyanov, 1944). Toads also overwinter in rivers and lakes.
Reproduction in April - May, in some biotopes until the end of June. Sometimes pairs form on the way to the breeding pond. Linear dimensions individuals, color, pattern of movement and contrast with the surrounding background are important parameters for distant recognition of a female by a male (Gnyubkin, 1978; Kondrashev, 1981). If the female is not ready to mate, she pushes the male away and twists her body to free herself; if the female is ready to mate, she does not try to free herself. Amplexus axillary. As with another species of common toad, Bufo bufo, several males sometimes try to mate with one female, and balls of toads form. To synchronize the release of sperm and eggs, the mating male and female stimulate each other with tactile and vibration signals. Females spend less time in water bodies than males. Egg cords wrap around underwater plants and other objects at a depth of up to 30 cm.
The daily activity cycle of tadpoles is similar to that of other toad species. It is easier to assess it by the daily dynamics of nutrition (Murkina, 1981). The daily cycle is divided into three periods of activity: (1) from noon to evening twilight (12:00-20:00 hours), (2) from sunset to sunrise (20:00-04:00 hours) and (3) from sunrise to noon (04:00-12:00 hours). The feeding intensity, assessed by the digestive tract filling index (the ratio of food weight to body weight without food), increases from morning to evening, when tadpoles accumulate in the warmed-up shallow water of the reservoir. At dusk, the clusters become less dense, because tadpoles migrate to the deep parts of the reservoir. At night they stay at the bottom. Tadpoles begin to rise from the bottom 3 hours before sunrise and disperse in the water layer. Soon after sunrise they become less active and begin to group together. The rhythm of the feeding activity of tadpoles coincides with the daily dynamics of their spatial distribution, which is determined by the course of temperature and illumination. Adult toads eat mainly insects, especially beetles and hymenoptera.
State of populations The influence of anthropogenic factors on the Far Eastern toad has not been studied enough. The species probably has good potential for synanthropization. It is often found in towns and cities. This leads to increased mortality on roads. In general, the Far Eastern toad is a common species in the Russian Far East. The status of the Transbaikalian populations is unknown, but they should be small and sporadic and may therefore require protection. Lives in 10 (or 13) nature reserves in Russia

Far Eastern toad(Bufo gargarizans)

Class - amphibians
Squad - anurans

Family - toads

Genus - toads

Appearance

Body length 56-102 mm. very similar to the common toad ( Bufobufo); differs mainly in the presence of spines on the tubercles of the skin of the back and a wide stripe extending from the outer surface of the parotida to the side of the body. The eardrum is very small or covered with skin. The bumps on the skin of the back are large.

Above, dark gray, olive-gray or olive-brown with three wide longitudinal stripes. A wide dark stripe runs from the inner surface of the parotida to the side of the body. This stripe in the rear is torn into large spots. The belly is grayish or yellowish, without a pattern or with small spots in the rear. Sex differences are the same as in the common toad. In addition, the male's back is often greenish or olive; There may also be gray or brown spots on the back. The male is smaller than the female; the relative length of its hind legs is somewhat longer, and its head is somewhat narrower.

Habitat

It lives in northeastern China, Korea and Russia. In Russia, inhabits the Far East to the north to the river valley. Amur.

The Far Eastern toad inhabits the forest zone. Within its boundaries, the species lives in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests and on their edges, as well as in meadows. Although it prefers biotopes with high humidity, it is rare in shaded or waterlogged coniferous forests. At the same time, it is found in floodplains and river valleys. It does not avoid anthropogenic landscapes: it lives not only in rural areas, but also in parks and gardens of large cities (for example, Khabarovsk: Tagirova, 1984). Absent in mountain tundras. Population density is high.

Lifestyle

They are active at dusk and at night, although in rainy weather they are also found during the day, especially young individuals. Wintering from September - October to April - May. Cavities in the ground, between tree roots and under logs are used as land shelters. Toads also overwinter in rivers and lakes.

Adult toads eat mainly insects, especially beetles and hymenoptera. Their diet is dominated by slow-moving land animals, such as slugs.

Reproduction

Reproduction occurs in April - May in lakes, ponds, swamps, puddles, oxbow lakes, ditches and streams with standing or semi-flowing water, usually with dense herbaceous vegetation. Sometimes pairs form on the way to the breeding pond. The linear dimensions of an individual, coloration, pattern of movement and contrast with the surrounding background are important parameters for distant recognition of a female by a male. If the female is not ready to mate, she pushes the male away and twists her body to free herself; if the female is ready to mate, she does not try to free herself. Amplexus axillary. Like common toad, several males sometimes try to mate with one female, and balls of toads form. To synchronize the release of sperm and eggs, the mating male and female stimulate each other with tactile and vibration signals. Females spend less time in water bodies than males. Egg cords wrap around underwater plants and other objects at a depth of up to 30 cm.

The daily activity cycle of tadpoles is similar to that of other toad species. It is easier to assess it based on the daily dynamics of nutrition. The feeding intensity, assessed by the digestive tract filling index (the ratio of food weight to body weight without food), increases from morning to evening, when tadpoles accumulate in the warmed-up shallow water of the reservoir. At dusk, the clusters become less dense, because tadpoles migrate to the deep parts of the reservoir. At night they stay at the bottom. Tadpoles begin to rise from the bottom 3 hours before sunrise and disperse in the water layer. Soon after sunrise they become less active and begin to group together. The rhythm of the feeding activity of tadpoles coincides with the daily dynamics of their spatial distribution, which is determined by the course of temperature and illumination.

Various are used for feeding. It is highly advisable to introduce earthworms and slugs into the diet. Toads quickly develop conditioned reflexes - for example, “knock on glass” - food. After 2-3 weeks, the animals will get used to this signal and will gather at the feeder. You can teach them to take food from tweezers or from your hand.

Description

Taxonomy

In Soviet times, the toads of the Russian Far East were considered a subspecies of the gray toad, and today they are considered a separate species based on geographic isolation from other gray toads, morphological, karyological and biochemical differences. There are 2 subspecies of the Far Eastern toad. The nominative subspecies occurs in Russia Bufo gargarizans gargarizans Cantor, 1842.

Appearance and structure

Very similar to the gray toad. It differs from it in its smaller size (body length 56-102 mm), the presence of spines on the outgrowths of the skin and a wide stripe running from the parotid gland to the side of the body, torn into large spots in the back. The eardrum is very small or covered with skin. The upperparts are dark grey, olive-gray or olive-brown with three wide longitudinal stripes. The underside of the body is yellowish or grayish, without a pattern or with small spots in the rear.

The signs of sexual dimorphism are the same as in the common toad. In addition, the male's back is often greenish or olive; Gray or brown spots on the back may be present. The female is larger than the male, her hind legs are relatively shorter and her head is slightly wider.

Distribution and habitat

Its range includes northeastern China, Korea and Russia. Range in Russia: Far East north to the Amur River valley. There the species is distributed from west to northeast from the mouth of the Zeya River to the mouth of the Amur in the Khabarovsk Territory. Inhabits Sakhalin and islands in Peter the Great Bay: Russky, Popova, Putyatina, Skrebtsova and others. Also known from the Baikal region.

The Far Eastern toad lives in forests of various types (coniferous, mixed and deciduous), as well as in meadows. Although it loves wet habitats, it is rarely found in shaded or waterlogged coniferous forests, but inhabits floodplains and river valleys. It can live in anthropogenic landscapes: in rural areas, as well as in parks and gardens of large cities (such as Khabarovsk). Not found in mountain tundras.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Far Eastern toads eat mainly insects, preferring hymenoptera and beetles.

They winter from September-October to April-May. They can winter both on land in underground cavities, under logs and tree roots, and in reservoirs.

Reproduction

Far Eastern toads spawn in lakes, ponds, swamps, puddles, oxbow lakes, ditches and streams with standing or semi-flowing water. They breed in April-May, in some places until the end of June. Occasionally, vapors may form on the way to the pond. Amplexus axillary. Like gray toads, it occasionally happens among Far Eastern toads that several males try to mate with one female, forming a ball of toads. To release sexual products at the same time, the male and female stimulate each other with tactile and vibration signals. The eggs are deposited in cords that wrap around underwater objects (mostly plants) at depths of up to 30 cm.

Population status

The Far Eastern toad is a common and numerous species in the Far East of our country. In the Amur River valley, it ranks third in number among amphibians (after frogs Rana nigromaculata And Rana amurensis). After severe droughts and frosty winters, the population of Far Eastern toads drops sharply, but then recovers.

Notes

Links

The Bastak State Nature Reserve was founded in 1997 on the territory of the Jewish Autonomous Region (JAO). It is located north of the city of Birobidzhan to the administrative border of the Jewish Autonomous Region with the Khabarovsk region Khabarovsk Territory. Its territory covers the southeastern spurs of the Bureinsky ridge and the northern edge of the Middle Amur Lowland.

In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated April 21, 2011 No. 302 “On the expansion of the territory of the state nature reserve“Bastak” reserve includes lands of the forest fund with an area of ​​35323.5 hectares, the former regional reserve “Zabelovsky”. On March 13, 2014, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree classifying 35.3 thousand hectares of land in the Jewish Autonomous Region as the territory of the Bastak state nature reserve; the corresponding document was published on the government website.

Currently protected area consists of two separately located plots with a total area of ​​127,094.5 hectares. Along the boundaries of the reserve in 2002 and 2003. A security zone has been created, which is 15,390 hectares within the Jewish Autonomous Region and 11,160 hectares in the Khabarovsk Territory.

Bolshoi Pelis is an island in the southwestern part of Peter the Great Bay Sea of ​​Japan, the largest of the islands of the Rimsky-Korsakov archipelago. Located 70 km southwest of Vladivostok. Administratively it belongs to the Khasansky district of Primorsky Krai. It is part of the Far Eastern Marine Reserve (DVGMZ). There is no permanent population on the island; in the summer-autumn period the island is occasionally visited by tourists and vacationers (without going ashore).