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Have you seen this toad? Canadian toad populations are on the decline in Alberta.A University of Alberta researcher is strapping tiny backpacks to toads in an effort to discover why one species is in serious decline.
Connie Browne, a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences, is spending this summer haunting the ponds and sloughs in northern Alberta, Canada, using tiny radio transmitter backpacks to track Canadian and Western toads.
Browne hopes to capture 12 of each kind and using soft surgical tubing, she will belt the toads into tiny, waterproof oval 'backpacks' containing radio transmitters. The signals travel up to one kilometre and will allow Browne to locate the toads and to take note of their preferred habitat.
Browne began radio-tracking toads at Elk Island National Park east of Edmonton, Alberta last year, and confirming earlier research, was unable to spot a single Canadian toad. In fact, she's never seen one. The small, bumpy-skinned species, which dines on grasshoppers and other invertebrates, plays a valuable role in the food web and crop pest control. It has become locally extinct. "We've changed the environment so much, they can't survive anymore," Browne said. "It indicates the aspen parkland is not as healthy as it used to be."
Browne's studies will offer up clues as to how a balance can be struck between land development and the need to preserve breeding, foraging and hibernation habitats for toads and other amphibious species.
Some toads carry their transmitters for only a few days before slipping out of the belt, while others have worn them for as long as six months. Last year, Browne was able to track 12 toads to hibernation and describe their hibernation sites. The transmitters were then removed and the toads released for the winter.
Source : University of Alberta
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Spying a suitable female floating in the swamp shallows, the hero of our tale approaches. He summons up all his courage, and trying not to sound too toadyish, blurts out “Hi there gorgeous!”
Disdainfully, the object of his desire replies: “You croaking at me? Why on earth should I….hey! What in a reptile’s name is THAT on your back?”
Our hero puffs himself up proudly, his confidence swelling like a bloated throat sac. “Oh that? Glad you noticed. It’s the latest in Alberta designer accessories – my amphibian backpack. Don’t you think it’s sexy….? Burp! – What you waiting for….Wanna mate?”
“Yeuch! Looks like you’ve been shat on by a seagull, more like. Either that or you’ve kissed another toad and got a massive wart.”
The hurt is palpable in our hero’s throaty voice. “But I think warts are so sexy… at least yours are. And no, its not seagull crap – I’m a research subject in a special Canadian science project!”
“Huh!” The target of his affection snorts in derision. “Research into what? How a toad can be so dumb as to let someone stick a monstrous * on his back?”
Realisation dawns in our hero’s mind for the first time – he must look like some Frankentoad freak! * those University scientists – kidding him on about how suave and sexy he looked as they strapped him down to their laboratory work top. How gullible could a toad be? – All those promises of rampant females clambering over each other in their haste to get a slice of the action with a designer SuperToad now seemed as empty as a fish bladder. He saw all his dreams of being the swamp’s main Casanova dissolving into frothy mucus before his beady eyes. His hopes would be forever dashed of lording it over that arrogant bullfrog from under the mossy log who was always boasting about his high spawn count. Here had been his one and only chance to be someone, something – a dashing, desirable beau for all the sex-starved females in the pond, his one chance to show those other toads he was fit for something other than being an intermediary in a pike’s food chain – and now he realised it would never be.
Our hero quietly turns away, so as not to show the tears that slowly trickle down his cheeks, looking for the nearest stone to crawl under.
“Wait! Just hang on a minute! I’ve got an idea…” He hears a voice ring out. “You know, from this angle, it looks quite impressive. And god knows most of you stupid toads in this back swamp are hardly what I would describe as well endowed. Not at all like those huge ones I met on that last migration in Calgary." A dreamy look comes into her toady eyes, which blink at the memory. "Now, I know the female is always underneath, but in your case I am quite tempted to make an exception and be a little adventurous…. Burp! Wanna mate?!”
Our hero can hardly believe it –The scientists were right after all! Of course he knew that she didn’t desire him for his earthy personality, his fruity croak or even his leathery looks (though he did think his inflated throat sac looked quite magnificent sometimes -well at least from the left side in the half-light so you couldn’t see his double chin). She only wanted him because he had a large appendage she could use for sex – typical! But then again, why should he complain…?
“Let’s be having you then, gorgeous!” he yells, twisting so she could leap up on top of him.
Just then, .....disaster!
As the nearby fisherman told reporters later, both toads just seemed to burst. “One minute I was sat there, looking at these two slimy toads writhing about, when “Boom!”, entrails were flying all over the place. I even got hit in the eye by this funny little plastic cylinder all covered in slime.”
Next day the news headlines declared: “Exploding toad epidemic reaches Canada!” A picture showing the top half-torso of a very smug-looking toad accompanied the article.
Someone has a LOT of time on their hands...
haha yea seriously, i thought that was part of the article
talk about overactive imagination...
Wow, that's cool! Thanks for writing it DT! Ignore these naysayers.
I want to help the toads!!!!!!! wait.... didnt a toad kill my grandmother last december?
DIE TOADS DIE!!!!!!!
That story reminded me of Watership Down...only toads instead of rabbits. It is a typical example of how the government will tell you that your participation will bolster your self all the while destroying what it is you actually have. The toad was sexy before the experiment.
Very interesting.
mmm...toads
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Very interesting.
That's totally awsome. High five.
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