Southern Toad

Bufo lentiginosus Shaw

Colour: Variable, often bright red-brown, with or without darker spots, a light vertebral stripe or a broader light band on the sides. The male may be nearly black. The young toads (one to three years old) may show much bright orange in the colouration. (For one phase of colouration, see Colour Plate IV.)
Measurements: Size of Bufo americanus, i.e. male 2 1/2 to 3 inches; female much larger. Head relatively long, its length contained only 3 1/2 to 4 times in total length. (Fig. 64.)
Structure: Parotoid glands relatively small and narrow. Crests of the head remarkably conspicuous, because of the elevation, posteriorly, of the divergent straight crests which lie on top of the head between the eyes. These are not only greatly elevated, but also are swollen into large knobs at their ends. Meeting each of these ridges just in front of the knob and behind the eye is a second ridge, which extends at right angles to the first downward to a point above the ear. A third ridge on each side passes backward from this point to the parotoid gland.
Range: The Southern States east of Texas.

This Southern toad, which is so like the American toad, its near relative at the North, is a valuable and interesting ally to man. It is very common, and may be seen in large numbers about houses and gardens in late afternoon and at dusk. During the daytime it hides in burrows of its own making, or in moist places under boards and stones.

It is probably of this toad that the following incident is told. The story illustrates the rapidity with which food is seized and swallowed, and the small part played in the process by the sense of taste. Among its other insect food the Southern toad finds fire-flies very palatable. So small boys feed the toad with the burning ends of matches, and it is said that only after several have been swallowed does the toad find out its mistake and object to the heat.

The male is very much smaller than the female and is much duskier in colouring. The general colour may vary from light reddish or greenish brown to black. There is usually a light stripe along the middle of the back and a broader one lengthwise along each side. The underparts are dirty white. The upper surface is warty, but much less strongly so than is the corresponding surface in the American toad. The parotoid glands are somewhat kidney-shaped and are relatively narrow. The eye is unusually large and beautiful, with an elongated black oval pupil and a golden iris. The ear is large (though smaller than the eye) and is vertically oval.

The foot is smaller and more slender than that of the American toad, and the foot tubercles are correspondingly smaller. The mouth has a conspicuous indentation in the upper jaw and a hook-like extension of the lower jaw to fit into this indentation.

This toad is one of the meekest and gentlest looking creatures that ever lived a lowly life on the ground. Although it becomes very tame in captivity, so that it will take food from one's fingers, or eat sitting in the hand, it still remains very timid, and is startled by any rapid or unexpected movement. While in captivity, toads of this species ate earthworms and insects of various sorts. Among the latter were large polyphemus caterpillars, hairy caterpillars (such as yellow bear and woolly bear), various sphinx caterpillars, red-legged locusts, and in fact all insects offered, except a large staghorn beetle. This beetle was swallowed, but was almost immediately disgorged, and the toad showed evident signs of discomfort long after. Bufo lentiginosus, like many other toads, shows, when excited, curious, nervous movements of the toes. These movements are especially conspicuous when the toad is watching a moving worm or insect just before seizing it.

After having been kept in a dry place for a few days, this toad--as well as Bufo l. woodbousei from Arizona, and other toads from southern North America--displays an interesting relation to water and interesting movements in it. When released in proximity to water, the toad hops eagerly towards it and squats in a place where it is shallow. After sitting quietly for a few moments, he turns around once or twice, then puts the water up on his eyes and the top of his head by means of his hands, using first one and then the other. This is not surprising, for we have seen the front feet used as hands in a similar movement during moulting or eating. However, there follows a most unusual movement, showing that the hind legs can be put to uses other than those of burrowing and locomotion. The wet feet are lifted one at a time, and their under surfaces are rubbed very dexterously over the toad's back and sides until all is wet. Finally, the hind legs are stretched backward and rubbed together in the water in a fashion that reminds us of the similar movement of the hind legs of a fly.

The throat of the male is black, and expands into a rounded resonating sac when the toad gives its call. This call consists of a single tone, which is vibrated, and which lasts several seconds. It is high-pitched and extremely sweet; in fact, it would take a practiced ear to distinguish the call from that of the American toad.

Bufo lentiginosus and Bufo americanus do not show a series of intergrading forms in a district intermediate in position to their respective southern and northern centres of distribution. Instead, they seem to be distinct species occupying the same localities where their ranges overlap.