Western Leopard Toads
Again this year (2008), the South African National Biodiversity Institute is undertaking a genetic study of the Western Leopard Toad, Amietophrynus ( Bufo ) pantherinus, in order to advance our understanding of effective populations and dispersal of this endangered species. At the moment, we do not know how many populations of this species exist, and we have no idea whether toads from specific breeding sites migrate over large distances. As most of the habitat within the Cape Peninsula/Cape Flats distribution of this species has been urbanised, toads will now face barriers to movement which never previously existed. This genetic study should reveal the significance of these barriers, and help clarify what measures need to be taken to improve the conservation and management of the relevant populations.
The aim of the project will be to determine the overall genetic diversity throughout the range of this species, and to look at population level genetics in the Cape peninsula. Simultaneous studies will use toad carcasses to study the parasites (by Louis du Preez, North-western University) and population demographics (together with students from CPUT) of the Western Leopard Toad and will further our general knowledge of this species. This means that we will sample tissue (a small piece of toe) from toads throughout their distribution as well as collecting any carcasses (either road-kills, victims of cats, etc.).
The Western Leopard Toad's conservation status is “Endangered” under the IUCN red-list criteria (see the Global Amphibian Assessment website or the IUCN red-list entry for Western Leopard Toads ). This means that based on the knowledge we have, conservationists are worried about the continued survival of this species. In order to help in the conservation of this species, we need to know more about the effective population sizes, and we hope that the results from our genetic studies will give us this information.
It is not possible for SANBI to undertake this study alone. As the Western Leopard Toad is an “explosive breeder” (breeding occurs over a very short period of time), the resources of all stakeholders are being pooled to realise sampling from across the range of this species. This includes personnel from SANBI, City of Cape Town, Cape Nature, Nature Conservation Corporation, University of the Western Cape, North-western University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology and SANParks.
Frequently Asked Questions
I know that toads breed in a pond near where I live, should I call you?
Please wait until the toads start to call, then call the hotline.
I've found a live Western Leopard Toad on the road, what should I do with it?
Carefully take the toad out of the road and place it on the other side in the direction it was facing. Do not move the toad anywhere else. Do not move the toad to a wetland or pond. The toads can navigate and know where they are going. If you move them, they might get lost, or worse might end up in the wrong population.
I've found a Western Leopard Toad in my garden, what should I do with it?
Much of the habitat for Western Leopard Toads is now gardens, so the toad is already where it should be. If you fear that the toad might fall into your swimming pool, or be attacked by your dog, then carefully move the toad within your garden but away from these risks. If you have a lot of toads in your garden, and a digital camera, you could help by taking ID pictures. Do not move the toad anywhere else. Do not move the toad to a wetland or pond. The toads can navigate and know where they are going. If you move them, they might get lost, or worse might end up in the wrong population.
My dog has attacked a Western Leopard Toad, will it harm my dog?
All toads have toxins which will be distasteful to dogs. The first taste that your dog gets should be so bad that it lets the toad go. If your dog is persistent or if it is worrying the toad, then carefully move the toad to an area of your garden away from this risk. If you have a lot of toads in your garden, and a digital camera, you could help by taking ID pictures. Do not move the toad anywhere else. Do not move the toad to a wetland or pond. The toads can navigate and know where they are going. If you move them, they might get lost, or worse might end up in the wrong population.
I don't want Western Leopard Toads in my garden because they can kill my dog/s, what should I do?
Much of the habitat for Western Leopard Toads is now gardens, so the toad is already where it should be. If you fear that the toad might be attacked by your dog, then carefully move the toad within your garden but away from these risks. Toads are very useful in gardens as they eat many pests such as slugs. If you have a lot of toads then consider making an area of your garden which is off-limits to your dogs so that you can place the toads there. You can then put plastic sheeting along the bottom of the fence of this section, with openings to allow toads to freely access safer areas in and out of the cordoned section. If you have a lot of toads in your garden, and a digital camera, you could help by taking ID pictures. Do not move the toad anywhere else. Do not move the toad to a wetland or pond. The toads can navigate and know where they are going. If you move them, they might get lost, or worse might end up in the wrong population.
My dog has eaten a Western Leopard Toad, will my dog die?
All toads have toxins which will be distasteful to dogs. The first taste that your dog gets should be so bad that it lets the toad go. If your dog is persistent and eats the toad entirely you should contact your vet. If you have a lot of toads then consider making an area of your garden which is off-limits to your dogs so that you can place the toads there. You can then put plastic sheeting along the bottom of the fence of this section, with openings to allow toads to freely access safer areas in and out of the cordoned section.
My cat killed a Western Leopard Toad, what should I do with it?
Place the toad in a plastic bag with a piece of paper stating the date you found it, the place you found it, your name and telephone number. Put the bag in your freezer and call the hotline.
I found a dead Western Leopard Toad on the road, what should I do with it?
Place the toad in a plastic bag with a piece of paper stating the date you found it, the place you found it, your name and telephone number. Put the bag in your freezer and call the hotline.
I found a dead Western Leopard Toad on the road but it is too squashed to pick up, what should I do with it?
Leave the body where it is. Look out for more toads in the same area.
Toads keep falling into my swimming pool, what should I do?
Inspect your pool every morning and remove any toads as quickly as possible with a pool net. Rinse the toad with fresh water to remove harmful pool chemicals. Put the toads on the other side of your house away from the pool. This would be a good time to get an ID picture. Place a piece of polystyrene or a plank of wood into your pool so that the toads have something to climb onto. This way, the toads won't be so harmed by them chemicals in your pool.
A toad died in my swimming pool, what should I do with it?
Place the toad in a plastic bag with a piece of paper stating the date you found it, the place you found it, your name and telephone number. Put the bag in your freezer and call the hotline. To prevent more toads dying in your pool, place a piece of polystyrene or a plank of wood into the water so that the toads have something to climb onto.
What do leopard toads sound like?
Here are 2 sound files that may play in your browser
:
Toad snore (mp3)
Toad snore (wav)
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HOTLINE
We have set up a telephone hotline for you to call in when toads start breeding in your area:
Telephone Hotline – 082 516 3602
If you prefer, you can send an email
leopardtoad@sanbi.org
Please read on for We Need Your Help and Frequently Asked Questions before you call or email. |
If you live at the Cape, we need your help!
Tell us when calling starts
We cannot be in all places at all times, and many of you live right next to sites where Western Leopard Toads breed. Males regularly congregate and start to call at ponds before breeding occurs. If you can tell us as soon as calling starts in your local pond, we can make sure that we are there to collect tissues (for DNA analysis) as well as monitoring the roads for carcasses.
Photograph your toads
Do you have lots of Western Leopard Toads which visit your garden and a digital camera? If the answer is yes, we'd like you to take some pictures of the toads like the one below. Western Leopard Toads have individual markings and these can be used to identify animals by means of computer software. We would like to start a data-base with pictures of individuals so that we can estimate the size of populations.
Each picture must be of the back of the toad (like the one below) and include something for scale.
Pictures must be in focus, so you may need to practice with your camera before you take the pictures. Keep the pictures in original format (don't resize or rename them) and when you have enough, burn them onto a CD and contact the hotline. Please don't harm or keep the toads overnight in order to photograph them. If you cannot easily photograph them where they are, then it's better to leave them undisturbed.
Do you live east of False Bay and have Western Leopard Toads near you?
If you live in the eastern part of the distribution of the Western Leopard Toad we are particularly interested in hearing from you. As the peninsula has so many urban areas, we have a good idea of where the toads are breeding. However, we know of very few sites east of False Bay and it appears that there have been some breeding sites lost.
If you have information about where Western Leopard Toads breed east of False Bay, or if you have historical information about where they used to breed, please contact us.
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Images of juvenile Western Leopard Toads
Note the bronzy-red poison glands, dark reddy-brown blotches and lighter yellowy surrounds.
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Click here to download a pdf. showing the Distribution of Western Leopard Toads.
The distribution is shown in pink. It falls in 2 halves: east and west of False Bay. West of False Bay the toad is endangered by urbanization, whilst in the east few breedings places are known.
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A_rangeri. A Raucous Toad. This individual has unusually red poison glands. Note the dark brown splotches and lighter brown surrounds. Raucous Toads make a loud quacking, like a duck! Photo: Marius Burger |
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