Common Names
The leopard toad is also known as the August or Snoring Toad
Appearance
Large toad which can reach lengths of up to 140mm. Attractive Dorsal pattern of chocolate-brown patches on a yellow background with a bright yellow line down the vertebral column.
Breeding Season
Usually August but have been recorded breeding at the end of July and in September.
Mating Call
Click here to hear a recording of the leopard toad's mating call. This characteristic snoring sound has given the toad its common name of "Snoring Toad". Only the male toad makes this call, and then only during the three weeks in spring when the toads mate (hence the name "August Toad").
Life Cycle
Breeds in permanent, usually deep, waterholes, dams and rain pools. Dependant on water only during the breeding season this toad will spend the rest of the year foraging on land. It is during this time that many people find them in and around their gardens. The tadpoles develop into tiny 11mm-long toads, which leave the water en masse during October, November and/or December.
Relatively few of the offspring develop into adults as most fall victim to a variety of predators (including their own kind) and other hazards.
Distribution
Restricted to the Cape Flats and Cape Peninsula with a health population occurring in and around Zandvlei.
Threats
Threatened through most of its restricted and fragmented distribution range by development and habitat degradation, which has resulted in the leopard toad being assigned to the IUCN Red List "Endangered" category in 2001.
One of the biggest threats to the species, besides habitat loss, is that during the breeding season these creatures are forced to navigate roads, walls, canals and similar boundaries. During this time, many adults in prime condition are killed and this could have a significant effect on the population in the long run.
Leopard Toad Census
In order to measure whether the Zandvlei population of leopard toads is growing or dying, volunteers from the Zandvlei trust helped the Conservation Officers from the Zandvlei Nature Reserve to count the breeding leopard toads. Read the experiences of a member of the census team.