Wrong time and place ............

I was surprised  to come across this fella out in daylight as they are very  much nocturnal creatures.

Toads are interesting amphibians that hibernate over winter and come out again late February just in advance of the breeding season.

Sadly on their journey to their spawning sites many are killed annually on roads that cross their traditional routes, happily tunnels built underneath roads specifically to allow their passage are increasingly commonplace.  

I have seen these mass movements during the breeding season on a couple of occasions and it is quite an awe inspiring sight.

As is the case with many species the Female is bigger than the Male.

Unlike Frogs that jump, Toads tend to walk around at a slow pace which for the uninitiated like me makes them easier to identify, Toads are also lighter in colour than Frogs and have drier skin and warts on their backs. Their eyes are a stunning golden colour with horizontal slits.

Both Toads and Frogs use the same ponds for spawning, the spawn can be differentiated as that of the Toad is laid in strings with double rows of eggs  whilst that of the Frog is laid in clumps.