History and origin
The Green toad was first described by Laurenti in 1768, the scientific name of this species is Bufo viridis, formally Bufo viridis. Bufo in Latin meaning toad, and viridis from Latin meaning green. Bufo is of unknown origin.
Characteristics
They are characterised by their marble-reminding, green blotches all over their bodies.
Description
=Size=
- Eggs: The eggs measure about 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter. They are laid in a cord that can be up to 4 m long and 4 to 6 mm in diameter.
- Tadpoles: The tadpoles measure 3 to 4 mm long at hatch. Growing up to 50 mm maximum.
- Juveniles: The juveniles measure 10 mm long at least when they exit the water, larger specimens are about 17 mm long.
- Adults: Males measure about 90 mm long; Females are usually 95 mm to 100 mm long.
=Morphology=
- Eggs: They are laid in cordons, there can be up to 15000 eggs per cordon arranged by two's or four's.
- Tadpoles: They have a tall tail but only at the middle point, the tail doesn't come up onto the back. The eyes are close together and their tail ends in a blunt.
- Adults: A robust toad with very warty skin and prominent paratoid glands, these paratoid glands are roughly parallel. They have a rounded snout, horizontal pupils. Their hind feet webbing is not developed. They have small hind limbs. No dorsolateral folds. They have an external vocal sac. =Patterns & colours=
- Eggs: They are small black embryos inside a transparent cord.
- Tadpoles: They are black.
- Adults: They have numerous dark green blotches well separated from each other, the background colour is whitish, creamy, light yellow. Sometimes the blotches are less vivid and can appear uniform (yellow, light brown, creamy) and may be confused with Bufo bufo. They sometimes have reddish freckles on the flanks.
Geographical range Widespread over most of central eastern and south eastern Europe as well as Italy, Corsica, the Balearics islands, Sardinia, Sicily...
Subspecies - balearicus - Found the western Mediterranean islands (Balearics, Corsica, Sardinia). Found over the mainland.
- viridis - Found over the mainland.
Sexual differences
Females are larger then males and their patterns are more vivid and contrasting. During the breeding season the males front limbs are larger and they have dark nuptial pads on their first three fingers. Males have a bluish throat due to their vocal sac.
Seasonal variations
The darkness of the nuptial pads described in 'sexual differences' varies in function with the breeding season, being darker during that period.
Diet
They eat insect larva, spiders, ants... They may feed on moths.
Defensive habits
When they are disturbed and handled they excrete a large quantity of liquid which has a foul odour. They may also emit a distress call.
Reproduction
The breeding season can last up to 1 to 2 months (starts in March) and reoccurs in October (in the Mediterranean area). The specimens from the Mediterranean area do not reproduce every year. Reproduction sites are usually small areas of shallow water, this water may or may not be permanent. This species can hold on until the flood season to lay their eggs in new small areas of water or if there is absence of water. This area of water must be as low as possible in fish and insects. Once the two sexes meet the male doesn't take long before mounting the female. But if the females reach the water without a male then they will become impatient and sing a love song to complain and attract a male. When time has come to lay the eggs the male will caress the females flanks helping her to lay, once the cord of eggs has started to emerge from the female, the male will take it and pull it to the nearest plant and then the female can lay and pull out the eggs alone as the males fertilizes them, they stay together for a few hours before the male finally disappears.
Sexual maturity, life span
The average life span for Bufo viridis is about 14 years, they reach their sexual maturity in their second year in the south and up to five years in the northern areas of it's distribution.
Habits
Active at night, although seen during the day sometimes, especially in spring. They are very resistant to difficult conditions for an amphibian, sometimes found in very hot and dry areas. During the day, they usually spend their time hiding under stones, under logs, or in the ground thanks to a small hole that they dig for themselves in the loose soil. They hibernate on land.
Call
A long 10 second croak sounding like a 'vrrr....vrrr....vrrr....'. They sing at night from the shallow end of a water hole. If they sing from the middle they are usually accompanied with many other males forming a orchestra, sound (p)www.oreilleverte.com:
Habitat
A very tolerant toad that doesn't suffer badly to heat waves, cold, dryness, salty water... On the mainland they live in various open areas, coastal dunes, prairies, cultivated and light woods... On Corsica, they live exclusively on costal dunes and close by habitats. Aquatic habitat may be shallow still water with little vegetation.
Predators
They are in danger from mainly birds. Tadpoles are eaten by aquatic insects and dragonflies.
Widespread over most of central eastern and south eastern Europe as well as Italy, Corsica, the Balearics islands, Sardinia, Sicily... 
Green toad, Bufo viridis - © Jean-Pierre Vacher 
