Species: Bufo gargarizans = Far Eastern (gray) toad. Far Eastern toad Appearance and structure

Date: 2011-05-31

I. Khitrov, Moscow

toads terrariumists have always been popular, especially those that come from the tropics. For some reason, it is believed that equatorial natives are more exotic, brighter and more interesting, and therefore more preferable for keeping at home.
However, attractive animals are not only in tropical countries. In the Far East, north of the Amur River, an amazingly beautiful toad lives. Previously, it was considered a subspecies of the common toad, but recently all researchers agree that it is a completely independent species. At one time, the animal was called the Asian toad, but in recent works another designation has finally been established - the Far Eastern toad (Bufo gargarizans).
This animal is of medium size, up to 10 cm long. The coloration is gray or brown with three brighter stripes above. Wide dark stripes run along the sides; the abdomen is light. Males are noticeably smaller than females and brighter colored.

Photo Far Eastern toad

In nature Far Eastern toads inhabit a forest zone with high humidity, preferring deciduous forests. They are active at dusk and at night, although in rainy weather they are also found during the day, especially juveniles. After wintering, they appear at the end of April - early May, and after 1-2 weeks they start breeding. Spawning is extended over time and can continue until June. They feed on various types of invertebrates; their diet is dominated by slow land animals, such as slugs.
Terrarium for keeping Far Eastern toads equip under the "corner of the forest." The area required for two individuals is 40x25 cm. The soil is leaf ground covered with a layer of sphagnum or forest moss. Shelters are required. in their absence, amphibians burrow into the ground. To decorate the terrarium, you can use stones, pieces of bark, tree cuts and living ones. Temperature - from 12 to 28 ° C; humidity - about 80%. Preferably daily spraying with cool (15-18 ° C) water, in this case the reservoir is not required. Lighting is moderate, using fluorescent lamps.

Photo Far Eastern toad

Various invertebrates are used for feeding. It is highly desirable to introduce earthworms and slugs into the diet. Toads quickly develop conditioned reflexes - for example, "knocking 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 their hands.
To stimulate reproduction, artificial wintering is used with a decrease in temperature to 4-6 ° C or warm sprinkling (water temperature 30-35 ° C), and the use of hormonal injections is also widely practiced.
Producers ready for spawning are transferred to an aquarium installed obliquely, 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 ground is 12-18°C. The tadpoles hatch in 4-15 days, depending on the temperature, and leave the pond after about two months. They are fed with scalded nettles, lettuce and dry food for herbivorous fish. After metamorphosis, toads eat tubifex, bloodworms, and small insects.

Species: Bufo gargarizans = Far Eastern (gray) toad

• Family: Bufonidae Gray, 1825 = (Real) 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 = (Real) frogs

Description and systematics. 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 strip extending from the outer surface of the parotid to the side of the body. The eardrum is very small or covered with skin. The tubercles 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 parotid to the side of the body. This strip in the back is torn into large spots. The belly is grayish or yellowish, without a pattern or with small spots in the back. The sex differences are the same as in B. bufo. In addition, the back of the male 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.
Systematics The Bufo bufo complex remains largely unclear. In Soviet literature, the common 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 geographical 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, it inhabits the Far East to the north to the valley of the river. Amur. In this valley, the toad is distributed from west to northeast from the mouth of the river. Zeya (Amur Region, near the city of Blagoveshchensk: 50o15" N, 127o34" E) to the mouth of the river. Amur in the Khabarovsk Territory (about 53o N, 140o E). Inhabits the whole about. Sakhalin and four islands in Peter the Great Bay: Popova, Putyatina, Russian and Skrebtsova. Common toads are also known from the Baikal region (for example, Gumilevsky, 1932; Shkatulova, 1966). Populations from Cisbaikalia should belong to Bufo bufo, while individuals from Transbaikalia should belong to Bufo gargarizans (Kuzmin, 1999). Usually, southeastern Transbaikalia (Chita region) is indicated as a distribution area, 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 locations of the finds have not been published; some researchers suggest that references to "grey toads" in this region actually refer to the Mongolian toad (Bufo raddei), while common toads do not occur there. This is consistent with the absence of common 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 the populations of the Amur region of Russia through the Chinese part of the species range. Special searches for common toads in Transbaikalia are needed.
Lifestyle. The Far Eastern toad inhabits the forest zone. Within its limits, 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 either: it lives not only in rural areas, but also in parks and gardens of large cities (for example, Khabarovsk: Tagirova, 1984). Not found in mountain tundra. On about. Sakhalin B. gargarizans is found in broad-leaved (birch, poplar, etc.) and mixed forests, as well as in meadows and even hills with xerophilous 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 stagnant or semi-flowing water, usually with dense herbaceous vegetation. The population density is high. In the river valley Amur is the third most abundant amphibian species (after the frogs Rana nigromaculata and R. amurensis) (Tagirova, 1984). Density varies greatly from year to year. After frosty winters and severe droughts, the 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. The linear dimensions of an individual, coloration, character of movement, and contrast with the surrounding background are important parameters for the 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 bends 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 will 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 vibrational signals. Females spend less time in water bodies than males. Caviar cords are wrapped around underwater plants and other objects at a depth of up to 30 cm.
The diurnal 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 diurnal cycle is divided into three periods of activity: (1) from noon to evening twilight (12:00-20:00), (2) from sunset to sunrise (20:00-04:00), and (3) from sunrise to noon (04:00-12:00). Feeding intensity, estimated from the digestive tract filling index (the ratio of food mass to body weight without food), increases from morning to evening, when tadpoles accumulate in the warmed shallow water of a 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. Shortly after sunrise, they become less active and begin to cluster. The rhythm of the food 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.
Status of populations The influence of anthropogenic factors on the Far Eastern toad has not been studied enough. Probably, the species has a good potential for synanthropization. It is often found in towns and cities. This leads to an increase in road deaths. In general, the Far Eastern toad is a common species in the Russian Far East. The state of the Transbaikalian populations is unknown, but they should be small and sporadically distributed, and therefore may need to be protected. Lives in 10 (or 13) reserves in Russia

Description

Systematics

In Soviet times, the toads of the Russian Far East were considered a subspecies of the common 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. In Russia, there is a nominative subspecies 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 outgrowths of the skin and a wide strip running from the parotid gland to the side of the body, torn in the back into large spots. The eardrum is very small or covered with skin. The upper side of the body is dark gray, olive gray or olive brown with three broad longitudinal stripes. The underside of the body is yellowish or grayish, without a pattern or with small spots in the back.

The signs of sexual dimorphism are the same as those of the common toad. In addition, the back of the male 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

The range includes northeastern China, Korea, and Russia. Range in Russia: Far East north to the valley of the Amur River. 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, Putyatin, 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 rare in shady 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). It does not occur in the mountain tundra.

Nutrition and lifestyle

Far Eastern toads eat mostly insects, with a preference for 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 stagnant or semi-flowing water. They breed in April-May, in some places until the end of June. Occasionally, pairs can be formed on the way to the reservoir. Amplexus axillary. Like the common toads, in the Far East it occasionally happens that several males try to mate with one female, forming a ball of toads. In order to release sexual products at the same time, the male and female stimulate each other with tactile and vibrational signals. Caviar is laid in cords that wrap around underwater objects (mainly plants) at a depth of up to 30 cm.

Population status

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

Notes

Links

The Bastak State Nature Reserve was established 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 District of the Khabarovsk Territory. Its territory covers the southeastern spurs of the Bureinsky Range and the northern outskirts of the Middle Amur Lowland.

In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 21, 2011 No. 302 “On the expansion of the territory of the Bastak State Nature Reserve, the lands of the forest fund with an area of ​​35,323.5 hectares, the former regional reserve Zabelovsky, are assigned to the reserve.” On March 13, 2014, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on the assignment of 35.3 thousand hectares of land in the Jewish Autonomous Region to the territory of the Bastak State Nature Reserve, the corresponding document was published on the government website.

Currently, the protected area consists of two separate plots with a total area of ​​127,094.5 hectares. Along the boundaries of the reserve in 2002 and 2003. a protected zone was created, which is 15390 hectares within the Jewish Autonomous Region and 11160 hectares in the Khabarovsk Territory.

Bolshoi Pelis is an island in the southwestern part of the Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of ​​Japan, the largest of the islands of the Rimsky-Korsakov archipelago. It is located 70 km southwest of Vladivostok. Administratively, it belongs to the Khasansky district of the Primorsky Territory. 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).