MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF COMMON TOAD Bufo bufo ...

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Natura Montenegrina, 6/2007
INTRODUCTION
Common Toad has a large distribution and popultes mainly the entire palearctic
area. It populates almost the entire Europe, with the exception of far north, Ireland,
Corsika, Sardinia, Balear's Islands, Malta, Crete, as well as some smaller
islands (B o r k i n and V e i t h , 1997). It also populates the northwestern Africa
(P a s t e u r and B o n s , 1959). Although common at lower altitudes, it may also be
found also on altitudes exceedeing 2500 m and on Iberian Peninsula (A n g e l , 1946;
B o r k i n and V e i t h , 1997). In Montenegro it is mainly widely distributed. Owing to
wide distribution, climatic conditions in various parts of areal of distribution are very
different. Thus, in northern part of the areal the winters are long, cold and humid, so
that the period favorable for growth is rather short (J o h a n n e s s e n , 1970). On
higher altitudes the conditions are even more extreme. On the other hand, southern
populations of this species are exposed to much more favorable conditions of outer
environment; therefore the period favorable for growth is much longer.
Species Bufo bufo is a polytypic one. From the scope of this species a taxon
from the Far East has been separated on the level of species Bufo gargarizans
(A n a n j e v a et al. 1998, K u z m i n 1999a, 1999b), and the character of polytype is
determined to it in addition to nominotype subspecies three other ones B. b.
grediscola, B. b. verrucosissimus, B. b. spinosus. If we recognize the fact that
Caucasus Toad (Bufo verrucosissimus) is a separate species (e.g. O r l o v a &
T u n i y e v 1989, A n a n j e v a et al. 1998), than the taxonomic differentiation in scope
of Common Toad is even more limited. Nominotype subspecies is the most widely
distributed (Northern and Southern Europe). The two first subspecies have a limited
geographical area (mountains Gredos and Caucasus), nominotype subspecies is the
most widely distributed (Northern and Central Europe), whereas the areal of
subspecies B. b. spinosus is limited to the region of Mediterranean (northwestern
parts of Africa, southeast Europe, southern Switzerland, Italy as well as the southern
parts of France and Spain).
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A total of 41 specimens has been analyzed, 26 males and 15 females. The
largest part of the material has been collected in mating period. The material has
mainly been manually collected and meredov (a net with a handle) has also been
used.
The samples belong to herpetological collection of the Natural History Museum
of Montenegro; they are kept in 70 % alcohole.
Morphometric analysis has been done on 21 traits which determine size and
form of body and head of tailless amphibians. Measured traits are: L – longthe of body