Golden toad  (Bufo periglenes)

Very little is known of the natural history of this species (2). It is active in the day, and breeding is confined to a short space of time between April and June during the rainy season (2). Huge numbers of golden toads once gathered at temporary pools of water, and as the males outnumbered females by 8:1, competition for females was fierce. Once a male forms a bond with a female, the pair are said to be in 'amplexus'; the male clasps the female tightly with his forearms around her back until they mate. During this time the male may face harassment from non-paired males trying to gain access to the female (2). Females produce 200 to 400 eggs, after hatching the larvae remain in the pool for about five weeks before metamorphosis into the terrestrial form occurs. It is thought that this toad feeds on small invertebrates, and may live underground at certain times of the year (2).