04/09/2021
The Western Leopard Toads are back at Klein Paradijs. From the end of July to the beginning of September these vulnerable toads are known to breed in various areas of the Western Cape, where they congregate at ponds or dams in their short breeding season. They can be identified by their loud snoring call.
Western Leopard Toads, which incidentally are the largest South African toads, are also called “August frogs” or “snoring toads”, most probably because of their specific breeding habits. They are identified by the chocolate brown patches on their backs, which are surrounded by a yellow border. They have a pink-brown swelling (the parotid gland) behind each eye. Western Leopard Toads can be confused with Raucous Toads (Bufo rangeri). However, their call is very different: The Western Leopard Toad makes a snoring sound, while the call of the Raucous Toad sounds like a quack.
