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Natterjack toad found kent-sussex border |
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Alex2
Senior Member Joined: 16 Dec 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 265 |
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Posted: 03 Mar 2009 at 4:17pm |
Alytes obstetricans? |
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Brian
Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 20 |
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Another post I am coming late to! I am the EN natterjack man that Dave Bird referred to. I don't recall being told by my wife about the Sussex/Kent natterjack record in 2003! Dave, the site in Sussex you referred to (scout camp) may have been Broadstone Warren in Ashdown Forest. it is a centre owned and used by the Scouts. I surveyed the area in the late 1980's and found all five of the widespread amphibians. Common toads were abundant. The site is largely forested in tall pine and looks most un-natterjacky now.
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BB
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ANDREW CLARKE
Member Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Dear Members,
I am no expert but from reading your site I suspect I may have a frog/toad of some sort in my garden. Last night at approx 5am-6.30am I was awoken by a series of high pitched calls/whistling which I cannot identify with any birdsong or other fauna like sound I have heard before. This experience has coincided with 2 individual sightings, one by myself and one by my partner of a frog/toad (we're not sure which). Since we have never heard this sound before our first assumption is that the sound and the amphibian are linked. Is this likely? Many thanks Kate and Andrew Battersea, London |
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aclarke1@mac.com
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Paul
Member Joined: 27 May 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 13 |
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actually, a second viewing of the pictures shows that the toad's eyes are orange, a common toad's eyes are usually always orange around the edges while a Natterjack's are usually Yellow.
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Paul
Member Joined: 27 May 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 13 |
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Hi Laurie, just so you dont feel so stupid, i've dug up my copy of the complete british wildlife book by collins and the picture on page 133 looks exactly like yours except for the lateral line, the other thing is the common toad is shown as a olive-brown colouration which is the common colour. If you read the info on the Natterjack Toad it says: Body rather flattened with conspicuous yellow strpie down back. Persoanlly i'm not sure if your toad is a common or natterjack toad - it could be the angle ofthe photo missed the stripe, but the toad is quite flat...
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william shaw
Member Joined: 02 Sep 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Hi Laurie - just read all the correspondence/seen the (excellent) photos re your non-natterjack sighting!! All good stuff. Just one other point, for future reference, about the differnces between common and natterjack toads; natterjacks have yellow irises, commons orange. A very noticeable feature. All the best, keep on searching. |
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777
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administrator
Admin Group Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Status: Offline Points: 10 |
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Hi Laurie, I can change the posting if you really want, but personally think that it illustrates the differences between the 2 species very well and might be very helpful to someone else in the future to identify the animals, I miss-identified what is probably the most commonly kept pet snake species in the world the other week.. just a case that I've not kept them or had an interest in that particular species, but they bare superficial resemblance to a European species I have kept - most important thing must be that you were interested enough to find out more which is why the forum is here! |
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lauriek
Member Joined: 22 Jul 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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David, You are absolutely right, and I will now have to go out of my way to spot a real one somewhere! ;) Laurie
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Laurie Knight |
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-LAF
Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 317 |
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Hi Lauriek, I agree with Gemma that this is definately a common toad, and a rather handsome animal indeed. Fab hindleg markings. Your description of it hopping confirms this identity (natterjacks run but don't hop). I would say that he (or she) was doing the same thing as you that night, and controlling the slugs, they're great things to have in the garden!
Cheers, Lee. |
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Lee Fairclough
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lauriek
Member Joined: 22 Jul 2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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Doh, I feel a right plonker now! Would it be possible for you to edit the article heading and add NOT to the end of it to save getting anyone else unnecessarily excited please! I think it's only fair to mention that I used Collins "Complete British wildlife" to (wrongly it seems) identify this toad as I do not have any amphibian specific books. I now realise that I should have come here first!! Cheers and sorry to anyone reading this thread who feels I wasted your time! Laurie Non toad expert 2003 |
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Laurie Knight |
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