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lauriek
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Joined: 22 Jul 2003
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Posted: 22 Jul 2003 Topic: Natterjack toad found kent-sussex border



Hi,

A few nights ago I was on a slug-killing mission in the garden and I found a toad on the patio. At the time I didn't realise there was anything special about it but I took a few photo's anyway as I am trying to put together a photographic catalogue of the wildlife we have out there..

Anyway, a couple of days after the actual encounter I was looking through a wildlife book and realised that this was not a common toad and was in fact an adult Natterjack Toad, which I had heard of but never seen before.

I haven't been able to find out much about them except that they are rare and endangered (and limited to a few locations in the UK, which I cannot find a list of anywhere), and they like open chalkland, near the sea. Well I live in Wadhurst, which is about 30 miles from the coast, it doesn't seem chalky and its fairly well wooded around here.

My questions are:

(a) is this a known location where these beasties have been found before?

(b) should I notify anyone that I found one here?

(c) would anyone be interested in some photo's or a couple of video's I took of it?

Cheers!

Laurie

(Cross posted to Natterjack toad forum from UK reptiles and amphibians forum as I realised this was a better place for the post!)

 




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Laurie Knight
lauriek
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Joined: 22 Jul 2003
No. of posts: 5


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Posted: 22 Jul 2003 Topic: Natterjack toad found kent-sussex border



Hiya, I am just emailing the pictures into the forum, they should be with the moderator in 10-15 minutes..

Interesting comments from David, I used to be in the scouts myself and did actually go on a scout camp on Ashdown forest, but never saw any interesting toads then, I suppose that would have been about the early 1980's..

I should point out that I've only made one sighting so far and was lucky to have the camera handy, so I don't think I'm sitting on a huge population pocket. Does anyone know how far these little beasties are likely to wander from their breeding grounds?

Hope the pictures help. I have two (fairly crappy) 3-4mb mov videos I took at the same time if anyone is interested, they show it hopping and running along.

Cheers!

    Laurie




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Laurie Knight
lauriek
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Joined: 22 Jul 2003
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Posted: 22 Jul 2003 Topic: Natterjack toad found kent-sussex border



Doubts?!

I hope I am wrong but looking at the pictures on this site it is not clear to me now that this is a Natterjack as none of my photo's show the yellow line.

I could be the victim of a poor wildlife book - which going by their pictures and comments I identified the beast by. I apologise profusely for causing any undue excitement if this is the case! <embarrased shuffle> But hopefully my pics should be with the forum administrator now who should be better able than me to tell what it was!

<fingers crossed hoping not to look like a complete idiot! />

Thought it only fair to mention it as it came to me!

Laurie




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Laurie Knight
lauriek
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Joined: 22 Jul 2003
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Posted: 22 Jul 2003 Topic: Natterjack toad found kent-sussex border



Doh, I feel a right plonker now!

Would it be possible for you to edit the article heading and add NOT to the end of it to save getting anyone else unnecessarily excited please!

I think it's only fair to mention that I used Collins "Complete British wildlife" to (wrongly it seems) identify this toad as I do not have any amphibian specific books. I now realise that I should have come here first!!

Cheers and sorry to anyone reading this thread who feels I wasted your time!

Laurie

Non toad expert 2003




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Laurie Knight
lauriek
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Joined: 22 Jul 2003
No. of posts: 5


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Posted: 22 Jul 2003 Topic: Natterjack toad found kent-sussex border



David,

You are absolutely right, and I will now have to go out of my way to spot a real one somewhere! ;)

  Laurie

 




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Laurie Knight

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