Bony-headed Toad
Ingerophrynus galeatus
Bony-headed Toad
Ingerophrynus galeatus
CC goal
40 breeders
As at 05/2024
CC goal
225 animals
As at 05/2024
CC goal
40 breeders
As at 05/2024
CC goal
225 animals
As at 05/2024
Some like it wet. The Bony-headed Toad lives quite close to water. It hops around in the soil close to streams in lowland rainforests in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China. The toads, growing up to nine inches long, are well camouflaged in the leaf litter due to their brown and olive military look.
Very hard-headed
The female wears the pants in this relationship: its name already hints at the strong bone crest that make the toad look almost like it is wearing a helmet. Both sexes have a bone crest between their eyes and a large secretion gland behind their ears, but in the female, the crest grows up to the tip of its snout.
Toads of the World
The Bony-Headed Toad is one of 610 toad species worldwide.
Toads populate all continents. A typical example: the Asiatic toad (Bufo gargarizans)
Some toads, such as the Cane Toad (Rhinella marina), seem gigantic
Others, such as the Pumpkin Toadlet (Brachycephalus), are extremely small, with a length of only 1-2 centimeters
The Rhinella schneideri toad from South America. Its dry skin, rich with glands and warts, is very typical for toads. The glands behind their ears secrete poison as a protection against predators.
The Incilius alvarius toad from the southwest of North America even produces psychoactive substances
Most toads live on the ground and are well camouflaged by their skin color, which resembles soil or leaves. This is a Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita).
Others try to signify that they are inedible with their bright colors, such as the Cerro Campana Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus zeteki).
The South American Melanophryniscus toads (here: the Melanophryniscus stelzneri) flaunts wasp-like colors to warn predators
But even “normal” toads, such as Baird’s Spotted Toad (Anaxyrus punctatus), can have pretty colors
… or the European green toad (Bufotes viridis)
Some toads, such as the Guiana Shield Leaf Toad (Rhinella lescurei), deviate from the usual form
Male toads try to attract females by croaking, such as the Anaxyrus americanus
They then usually deposit their eggs in the water, like the Common Toad (Bufo bufo) shown here
The so-called “Amplexus” is like foreplay for toads: the female carries the male on her back for days before mating, such as the Amietophrynus gutturalis toads seen here
The Munchies
Considering how sturdy the Bony-headed Toad is, it is quite unusual that it prefers eating small animals. Even when it is fully grown and has a huge appetite, it eats tiny snacks such as fruit flies – lots of them.
The mating process, judging by human standards, is rather unromantic
Toad Love
At the beginning of the rainy season, the toads start to mate. In the nearest body of water, the males try to lure the females with their shouts. If this succeeds, the male, which is smaller, clings to the female’s back. In this so-called Amplexus, the animals are sometimes stuck to one another for days before they finally deposit their eggs in the water. The mating process, judging by human standards, is rather unromantic: The female deposits its eggs in long strings, the male adds his sperm into the water – done. Their offspring are then left to take care of themselves.
Development from Egg to Toad
The spawn of 2000 to 3000 eggs is tied in strings around rocks
A couple during oviposition
After only a day, the larvae already wiggle in their eggs, ready to hatch in a few hours
Day 4 after oviposition: a tadpole with an already recognizable mouth, scratching algae from the rocks
The tadpoles are already swimming and eating independently
The beginnings of hind legs are visible
At three weeks, the joints in the hind legs are fully developed and help the toads walk
Almost 4 weeks after the eggs were laid: the arrival of the front legs is imminent
The front legs are fully developed, and the toad is beginning to develop its coloration
After about a month, the little toads leave the water. They still have remnants of their tails
All done – now they are real toads
Do Not Disturb
Despite the fact that Bony-headed Toads are comparatively rare, they are not yet considered an endangered species because their habitat is spread across such a wide area. They live exclusively in undisturbed rainforests, which are getting more and more scarce in southeast Asia. In Vietnam, the Bony-headed Toad has already been classified as “endangered” on the Red List.This little toad is only one of many thousands of species that depend on the lowland rainforest ecosystem.
The Bony-headed Toad’s natural habitat
For breeders
Basic information on biology and breeding
Suitable for inexperienced breeders. Terrarium size for a couple: 60 x 40 x 40 cm. Terrarium size for a group: 100–150 x 60 x 60 cm. Temperatures of 24–26 ° C year-round, only a little cooler at night. The terrarium can be arranged in the style of a rainforest, with lots of pools. The toads are usually nocturnal, but also frequently observed during the day. They eat small animals ranging from fruit flies to crickets. The tadpoles eat fish food.