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Common Toad

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The common toad (also known as the European toad), is a large-sized species of toad that is found throughout Europe. Although the common toad is not found in Iceland or some areas of the Mediterranean, the range of the common toad extends all the water to Siberia and into Northern Africa.

The common toad is generally brown in colour but colours on the skin of the common toad can range from black to green to yellow. The skin of the common toad, as with other toad species, is permeable and has a rough appearance.

The common toad is most active in wet weather and is most commonly found in areas close to water such as woodlands, forests, marshes and meadows. The common toad is also a nocturnal animal, spending the daylight hours resting and hunting by night.

The common toad is an carnivorous animal, and the diet of the common toad therefore only consists of other animals. Insects are the primary source of food for the common toad, as they are caught when in the air by the long sticky tongue of the common toad. The common toad also feasts on other invertebrates such as worms and spiders.

The common toad has a number of predators within its natural environment, mainly due to its relatively small size. Grass snakes, hedgehogs, foxes, cats and birds all commonly prey on the common toad.

The female common toads lay their eggs in the water rather than on the land, in long strings known as toadspawn, The common toad tadpoles hatch into the water where they begin the process of metamorphosis which turns them from tadpole into an adult common toad.

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Common Toad Facts

Kingdom: A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....	Animalia
Phylum: A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....	Chordata
Class: A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....	Amphibia
Order: A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....	Anura
Family: A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....	Bufonidae
Genus: A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....	Bufo

Scientific Name:	Bufo Bufo
Type:	Amphibian
Diet:	Carnivore
Size (L):	10cm - 18cm (4in - 7in)
Weight:	20g - 80g (0.7oz - 2.8oz)
Top Speed:	8km/h (5mph)
Life Span:	2 - 4 years
Lifestyle:	Solitary
Conservation Status: The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...	Least Concern

Colour:	Black, Green, Grey, Brown, Yellow
Skin Type:	Permeable
Favourite Food:	Insects
Habitat: The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...	Forests, woodlands and marshes
Average Clutch Size:	100
Main Prey: When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....	Insects, Worms, Spiders
Predators: When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...	Foxes, Grass Snakes, Hedgehogs
Distinctive Features:	Rough skin and long, agile toes

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	Spadefoot Toad They spend most of their time underground!
	Fire-Bellied Toad Found across mainland Europe and Asia!
	African Clawed Frog Also known as the Platanna!