Nile Delta toad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nile Delta toad |
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Bufo kassassii Baha El Din, 1993 |
The Nile Delta toad, also called the Damietta toad, is a type of toad. Its scientific name is Amietophrynus kassasii. This special toad lives only in Egypt. You can find it from the Nile Delta all the way south to Luxor. It likes to live in wet places. These include swamps, freshwater marshes, and even farms. It also lives in cities, flooded fields, and canals.
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How Was the Nile Delta Toad Discovered?
For many years, scientists thought a small toad found in Egypt was a different species. Between 1909 and 1912, some small toads were collected near Alexandria. They were sent to the British Museum. There, they were identified as Bufo vittatus. No more of these toads were found for a long time.
Then, in 1991, a new kind of toad was found. A scientist named Baha el Din discovered it. He found it near Damietta in the Nile Delta. This new toad looked different from B. vittatus. The B. vittatus toad is mostly found near Lake Victoria. So, scientists wondered if the first toads found in Egypt were really B. vittatus.
In 1993, this new toad was officially named Bufo kassassii. Later, it was moved to a different group of toads. Now, its full scientific name is Amietophrynus kassasii.
What Does the Nile Delta Toad Look Like?
The Nile Delta toad is a small animal. Female toads grow to about 38 millimeters (1.5 inches) long. Males are a bit smaller, reaching about 34 millimeters (1.3 inches).
Its back is usually greenish-grey. It has dark spots between its eyes, on its shoulders, and on its hips. Often, there's a thin white stripe down its back. Its belly is white, sometimes with small dark spots. The hips can have dark red patches.
This toad has a long, thin snout. It also has large, clear eardrums, called tympani. The glands behind its eyes, called paratoid glands, are not very noticeable. The skin on its back can feel a bit bumpy or have small, spiny warts. The skin on its belly is slightly bumpy too.
Its first finger is shorter than its second finger. Most of these toads have a red patch on their thigh. Male toads ready to breed have a bright orange throat sac. These features help scientists tell the Nile Delta toad apart from other toads in Egypt.
Where Does the Nile Delta Toad Live?
The Nile Delta toad was first found in the Nile Delta in Egypt. It is a small toad that is active at night. It likes water and is not seen very often. However, you might know it's around by the special call the male toads make.
It lives in wet places like swamps and rice fields. It also likes clumps of plants floating on water. This toad has spread further along the River Nile. This happened as reeds grew along the riverbanks and canals. Now, you can find it in Cairo. It has even spread as far south as Luxor, where many of them live.
Is the Nile Delta Toad in Danger?
The Nile Delta toad lives in an area smaller than 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles). Even though it can live in large groups, it's still rarely seen.
Luckily, this toad has learned to live in different places. It can live in rice fields and farms, not just its natural swampy home. It also lives in several protected areas. Because of this, it doesn't face many big threats. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says it is a species of "least concern". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
