Why?
A Tragic Discovery
FLORA AND FAUNA AND THE FOREST WORLD
3/1/20262 min read
Imagine our excitement in the following days when we learned that yet more toads had arrived. Two days ago the sun was shining brightly and we could hear toads croaking vociferously. I could tell that something was up as I approached the pond, for the goldfish had grouped together. They now hung about the shallow end of the pond, while before them toads were cavorting everywhere. Some toads even seemed to be sizing up the pond plants. I must have counted twenty or more.
Later that day, I spotted something alarming. Just below the surface of the water was a writhing mass of toads . As one male fell off, others were waiting to jump on , clinging desperately to this ball of amphibians as it rocked about in the water. It was clear that somewhere amongst all this would be one poor female, although she was completely hidden. As one or two toads broke away and came to the side of the pond for air, I began to grow more and more worried. Toads normally live on land, and breathe air through their lungs. However, I do know that toads can breathe dissolved oxygen through their skin when they are underwater. I watched this group of toads for quite some time, hoping to get a glimpse of the female. Should I interfere, and separate them, I wondered anxiously. I decided against this. After all, the excess water from our source( or spring) overflows into this pond, so the water was being constantly reoxygenated. I hoped for the best.
The next morning, when I looked into the pond I saw lots of young male frogs scurrying around the bottom. When I searched for a larger female toad, all I could see was one floating on her own. As I looked more closely, it was clear that she was dead.
This is what the scientific site of the United States Government (USGS) has to say about it.
. During toad breeding events, several males may attempt to mate with the same female, and females have been known to drown when too many males attempt amplexus at the same time.