Did you know that the Western Leopard Toad.... * can reach the impressive size of about 14cm in body length * can live up to 13 years * has rough skin * has a beautiful pattern of chocolate to reddish-brown patches with a bright yellow or black edging, on a pink or grey background usually a yellow stripe running the length of the back between the patches

* makes a noise like someone snoring * is found mainly in sandy coastal lowlands, but also in valleys, mountain slopes and hills adjoining the lowlands also live in gardens in coastal lowlands * spends most of its time away from water * does have to live fairly close to wetlands for breeding

* eats snails, bugs, beetles, earthworms and caterpillars * tend to call in choruses of up to 50 toads * generally call at night * are not great swimmers, their feet are not as webbed as frogs feet * mainly nocturnal

* breeds mainly in August * returns to its native wetland pond to breed * breeding depends mainly on rainfall and temperature * the female deposits thousands of eggs in a string of jelly * metamorphosis takes more than 10 weeks from a toadlet/tadpole to a toad * takes 1 to 3 years to reach maturity for males and 2 to 6 years for females

Life cycle

Conservation status

The Western Leopard Toad is classified according to the IUCN Red List as an Endangered species. This is based on: its restricted distribution and habitat, habitat that is severely fragmented; and a continuing decline in the extent of distribution, area and quality of habitat, and the number of locations/populations and mature individuals.

Threats

The Western Leopard Toad is threatened mainly general development and habitat degradation. In built up areas, the toads have to cross roads and barriers while migrating to breeding sites. Other threats include pollution, predatory fish, invasive plans that choke the water, alien ducks that consume toad eggs and tadpoles and dirty water.

How you can help

Check out www.leopardtoad.co.za to see who you should talk to about volunteering to help save the Western Leopard Toad.

Many thanks to www.leopardtoad.co.za for permission to use facts and figures about the Western Leopard Toad.