Apennine yellow-bellied toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apennine yellow-bellied toad |
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| Distribution of the Apennine yellow-bellied toad (in blue) |
The Apennine yellow-bellied toad (Bombina pachypus) is a special type of toad. It lives only in Italy. This toad is part of the Bombinatoridae family.
These toads like to live in many different places. They can be found in cool forests and grasslands. They also live in wet areas like swamps and marshes. Sometimes, they are found in farm fields, ponds, or even in ditches. Sadly, their homes are shrinking, which is a big problem for them.
Contents
What Does the Apennine Yellow-Bellied Toad Look Like?
This toad has a strong, compact body. Its snout, or nose, is rounded. The skin on its back feels bumpy. It is covered with small tubercles, which are like tiny bumps.
Eye Shape and Color
The pupil of its eye is shaped like a triangle. The top of the toad is usually dark tan or grey-brown. It might have some lighter, faded spots.
Amazing Belly Colors
The underside of the toad is very striking. It is greyish-blue to black-blue. This dark color has bright yellow or orange spots and patches. These colorful spots often cover more than half of its belly. They are also found on the inside of its legs, fingers, and toes.
Where Do Apennine Yellow-Bellied Toads Live?
The Apennine yellow-bellied toad is found only in Italy. This means it is endemic to that country. You can find it south of the Po River Valley. It lives all through the Apennine Hills. Its home stretches south to the very tip of mainland Italy.
Preferred Habitats and Elevation
These toads live at different heights above sea level. They can be found from about 20 meters (66 feet) up to 1,700 meters (5,577 feet) high. They like to live in ponds and ditches. These can be in forests or open areas.
Where Do They Lay Eggs?
When it's time to breed, they look for water. They lay their eggs in ponds, wet areas, ditches, and even in puddles or animal drinking troughs.
How Do Apennine Yellow-Bellied Toads Behave?
The Apennine yellow-bellied toad is active during the day. This means it is a diurnal animal. When winter comes, it goes into a long sleep. This is called hibernation. They usually hibernate from November until April.
Breeding Habits
After they wake up from hibernation, they start breeding. Female toads lay many small groups of eggs. They often lay these eggs in temporary water bodies. These are places that might dry up later in the year.
Special Defense Mechanism
This toad has a cool way to protect itself. Its skin makes a special liquid that is toxic. If a predator tries to attack it, the toad arches its back. This shows off its bright, colorful belly. This bright color is a warning sign. It tells predators that the toad is poisonous. This defense is called aposematism.
What is the Status of the Apennine Yellow-Bellied Toad?
The number of Apennine yellow-bellied toads seems to be going down. Scientists are not completely sure why this is happening. One reason might be changes in farming methods. Another possible cause is a fungal disease called chytridiomycosis.
Conservation Efforts
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed this toad as "Endangered". This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever. The IUCN believes that more research is needed to understand why their numbers are declining. This will help protect them.
