The common toad (Bufo bufo) is one of two species in the toad family (Bufonidae) that live in Slovenia. Globally there are 403 species that we classify into this family. The common toad is probably known to everyone. In body shape it resembles frogs, the skin of its stout body is covered with numerous warts. At the nape, behind orange eyes with a horizontal pupil, it has a pronounced parotoid gland. These secrete a whitish poisonous liquid, and the other venom glands located in the skin all over the body also secrete poison. The dorsal side and flanks of the common toad are dark brown, less often yellow or red-brown, often with darker spots; its ventral side is lighter. This is our most voracious and largest tailless amphibian. Adults measure from 5 to 15 cm, females are always at least a third larger than males. On land common toads are rather awkward and slow; in water they are much more nimble and swim well. They move with slow walking, occasionally jumping, but they do not jump as well as true frogs, as toads have shorter hind legs.
Poudariti je treba, da krastačin strup človeku ni nevaren, saj ne prodre skozi našo debelo kožo! Paziti je treba le, da ga ne dobimo v oči ali odprto rano, saj v tem primeru povzroča pekočo bolečino.
The common toad is widespread in Slovenia and (still) common. It lives in forests, where it also overwinters. In summer it likes to stay in settlements with enough gardens and hedgerows, where many garden snails are in its stomach. This amphibian never runs out of appetite and devours a huge number of snails, insects and spiders, even smaller vertebrates it takes on. It patiently and motionlessly waits in ambush, so that its prey comes close enough, then it lunges at it with its huge yawning mouth.
Od marca do aprila, redko kasneje, se navadne krastače odpravijo na kraje, kjer se razmnožujejo – mrestišča. Med selitvami na mrestišča premagajo največje razdalje med našimi dvoživkami, tudi do 5 km, zato jih tudi največ od vseh konča svoje življenje pod kolesi avtomobilov… V vlažnih in toplih spomladanskih nočeh na mrestišče prvi pridejo samci in nato z nežnim napevom k sebi vabijo samice. Parijo se v vodi z gostim vodnim rastlinjem. Mrest najraje odlagajo v globoke stoječe vode, pa tudi v počasi tekočih vodotokih jih najdemo. Samec se med parjenjem s krepkimi sprednjimi okončinami čvrsto oklene izbranke, ki ji je zlezel na hrbet, in sproti oplaja jajčeca, ki jih samica v do 6 m dolgi vrvici ovija okoli vodnega rastlinja.
The common toad is a protected species in Slovenia and is listed on the Red List of Amphibians as a vulnerable (V) species!
