RAUK - Archived Forum - Strange behaviour?

Hello all.

I was walking along the side of a shallow (maybe a foot deep) rhyne near Bristol today and saw loads of Common Toads in the water.  Most were on their own, with some mating as pairs.

However, I came across a ball of toads all clinging to each other.  There were about 6 that I could see, with one or more underneath and belly up which I think was/were larger.  It was very hard to see quite what was going on.  There was no obvious movement, until a couple of others on the periphery decided to join in.  There was some jostling for position, then they were still again.  This happened several times as displaced toads vied for position.  Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me.

I assume the ones on top were male and the one(s) underneath were female.  Was this normal mating behaviour?

Thanks,

Tim.

Hi Tim, it sounds like you witnessed a spawning knot.  Several males attempt amplexus with the same female which in the worst case scenario can result in the female drowning.

The unattached animals that you saw were almost certainly all males, waiting for further females to arrive.

Hi Tim,

There were some funny goings on in Priddy today too....

Surely a wet footprint isn't a good place to hide/rest/mate?

And this guy has got it all wrong!

Hmm, seems toads aren't very discriminating (or bright) when it comes to mating.  I remember as a kid seeing a toad which had clasped onto a goldfish in my parent's pond, and it wasn't letting go.  That poor fish was never the same again.

Going back to Peter's reply - yes I guess that's what it was.  I was just surprised that the toads didn't seem to be actively doing anything, just hanging on.  I do wonder if the female (I guess there must have only been one, but it was a biggy) had actually drowned, as the legs facing upwards didn't seem to move at all.

Happy herping,

Tim.