Back in the Sand pit (B. viridis)

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Today I was back in that sand pit where I found my first Bufo viridis two weeks ago (viewtopic.php?f=10&t=134), because I was not satisfied with the pics I made.
It was a sunny morning with a lot of clouds.
After a while I found one and made some pictures.

I don’t watch the sky and was very surprised when heavy rain starts.
I was not ready in that pit, so I don’t want to go back to the car.
I looked for a shelter, not about me (I`m not a cat!) I was afraid about my cameras.
I found a place in that pipe. I`m 1,78 m, the pipe was, maybe 1,20 m!!!
Not much place inside, because the other pipe.

After 10 Minutes rain stops, I walked out, about 150 Meters, Rain starts again, so I run back in that pipe!
I was there for 20 Minutes more.
After rain stops again, I looked around in the pit and found xxl-size Bufo bufo (2 maybe 2,5 cm)

Also a few Rana temporaria, same size!

Female Lacerta agilis

I checked the tadpoles in the puddle, they are growing very fast!
The bad thing is, there is still a Pelophylax in the puddle.
I will go to that pit in two weeks again and make the puddle free of the Pelophylax-eating machine to protect the little toads.

[Ilian Velikov]

You've made great photos! Congratulations!

Even though B.viridis is very rare in your country, I'm not sure it's a very good idea to interfere nature and remove those Pelophylax from the pond!

Ilian

[Wolfram Schurig]

Great pics! All of them!

And - in dubio pro Bufo - I would say!

Wolfram

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Ilian, many years ago this toad was common in this area. For example in the 80´s they count 10.000 in the city of Munich.
Now most of them are gone.
The area where I looked for them has four pits.
In the first they count in the year r2005 90, I found none.
The second is private area.
The third has a high fence too protect them!!!
The fourth (where I found the two toads) is a factory area, I think, it is open, not sure.
They count in this pit 25 in 2005.
Most other areas where they occur years ago are empty now. The reason for that is habitat destruction! Not nature have done this!!!!
If the small thing that I can do to help this little population is to put the Pelophylax in a other pound than I do that!
PRO BUFO!!!!

[Ilian Velikov]

Sorry,Jurgen! Didn't know that the situation is exactly like that! If that's the case why isn't something more done about that! Or is it? You say one of the ponds has a fence! Is there any conservation work going on there?..And if you remove the Pelophylax,how you're going to prevent them from comming back?

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Ilian, no Problem!!!

Like around the world, not many people are interested in protecting Amphibiens or Reptiles.

The “Fence-area” looks like an interesting project.
It’s a sand gravel pit with many pounds and puddles, trees and bushes and grass and bush free areas. They have free running sheep’s inside, to keep the grass and bushes down.
Sadly I saw this all through the fence!

I will found for the Pelophylax a pound close to that pit, but not close!!!