forwarded message from Phil Piper in York. Please reply to him at:
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Fwd: toad taphonomy]
Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 08:53:41 +0100
From: pjp105 <[log in to unmask]>
To: mjb117 <[log in to unmask]>
References: <[log in to unmask]>
Hello mark + zooarch mailbase people,
Re: toad taphonomy...
Not sure what the cause is but my guess is either seabirds or more
likely corvids, ie crows, rooks etc. Mammals tend not to eat toads
because they produce a nasty tasting excretion from their glands. Frogs
are sometimes taken by mammal predators but are generally eaten whole.
It might have been useful to look along the edge of the loch, especiaaly
where there was some weed and look for spawn. The only time toads enter
water in any numbers is during the breeding season which i imagine
wasn't too long ago in Scotland. I saw some unhatched toad spawn near
Bristol abiout 2 weeks ago. the birds have probably just been catching
them and stripping the flesh. Call it an educated guess.
Couldn't send any down by any chyance i could do with some frogs and
toads for comparatives.
Phil Piper
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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