Toads mating

[Erland R.N.]

I assume that this picture shows toads mating, A female must be hidden below this "ball" of males. I speculated if the female would die of lack of air, as I stood and watched for quite a long time, and the "ball" only surfaced so that the males at the top could grab some air.

I can count at least 12 toads in the picture. Nice find on my first day out in the new year.


Canon 5D, 300/2.8 (IS off on monopod) + 36 mm extension tube.
f/5, 1/250 s, iso 400
Slightly cropped left side

[puzzledpaul]

<< Nice find on my first day out in the new year. >>

Indeed ... and nicely captured too.

Also been a 'target rich' environment over here, too for such critters - about a couple of weeks ago.

(Looks like someone's been spending on 'big glass' too )

pp

[beetleman]

A very interesting image Erland. Would be interesting to look at the water under a microscope. There must be a shortage of female toads in the UK

[Erland R.N.]

Thank you for comments.
Yes, a gave myself a used 300/2,8 IS for christmas. I hope it will come to good use in the years to come. It can produce very sharp images with my Sigma 2x converter.

Two days ago, a week after the first picture was taken, I was out at the same location again, and this time it seemed like more females had arrived. There was a lot of mating going on peacefully, maybe I could observe 15 pairs at this very place.

I think the males may arrive at the mating location first, and the first females to arrive, are in for a rough time.

There was though a female that got a bit too much attention, after I had been at the location for maybe half an hour.

The pictures got better this time out, as I was more careful with shutter time and had IS on.


5D + 300/2.8 with IS on monopod, uncropped.
f/5.6, 1/320 s, iso 800

Grabbed my Sigma 150/2.8, as some toads was swimming around my rubber boots.

5D, 150/2.8 on monopod, slightly cropped.
f/10, 1/200 s, iso 800

[acerola]

I like the second picture from the three. This lens has a terrific picture. The top toad is like a zombie with slightly red eye. It's a weretoad.