Bill Ford-SmithBonking Toads…
Image EXIF Data
- Date Taken: 03 May 2015, 15:00:03
- Camera: NIKON D7000
- Focal Length: 400
- Aperture: f/5.6
- ISO: 1100
- Shutter Speed: 1/1000 second
One of the more splendid aspects of the Oakville area is the large number of parks of one sort or another, many of which provide excellent habitat for all sorts of interesting wildlife.
If one insists, many of these locations could be used for things like engagement photography (discussion of which triggered this blog post); however, left to my own devices, I would generally much rather be seeking out the creatures that abide in these places.
The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is one such creature; in the spring, they seem to find the pools around 16 Mile Creek ideal for the purposes of making more toads.
When the males are all in full chorus, the sound is rather impressive.
The ripples radiating out through the water from the male above give a bit of an indication of the effort he’s putting into his song; the effect is reminiscent of Crocodilians’ low frequency calls (only smaller and less likely to try and pull your arm off).
Bill Ford-Smith 