• Greeting
• Work of the month
• Lunar time-table
• Forum Cat
• Photographs
• Club garden
• Services
• Shop
• Contact

The common clamping plate, a useful batrachian in the garden

Spring approaches, slowly but surely, and, for some, it is for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow; only the temperature, moisture and the luminosity will start the alarm clock after 3 to nths of winter rest of the “monster” more feeling reluctant, more impresses popular beliefs and always associated with sorcery: I appointed the common clamping plate, .

But, because it there one BUT, did you know that this host of the ground, the forests, the gardens, of the marshes, of the ditches, the ponds, of the plain like mountain, city (one finds it in certain parks of Geneva) like campaign, is all that there is of more useful for the protection of your salads? Let us go good, the author is delirious; and well not, because this “residue of extract of elixir little that everyone venerates…” play a key role in the destruction, the regulation of invertebrates of any kind the such earthworms, the slugs, the caterpillars, the coleopters, the ants and I pass from there and from best whose you could not imagine the existence.

It is the largest clamping plate of France: the female can reach 12 cm (and even 18 cm in the south of Europe), the male reaches 8 to 9 cm quietly and is fitted with strong front armlevers whose three internal fingers are fitted with rough and blackish bearings appointed “callosities”, in period of reproduction only. One can also recognize the aforementioned by seizing it, it will issue some croakings then whereas the female remains dumb.

35 years of existence, nonrisk-free!

The lifespan of our “protects salad” can exceed 35 years except if, inadvertently, he ventured to swallow a poisoned slug, from where importance to use natural methods (saucers filled with beer) to eliminate the gastropods if the damage made with the kitchen garden is major.

Its predatory natural is mainly the grass snake with collar, the hedgehog which uses its venom to coat its piquancies and certain birds of which the crow. Another mailman which shortens the life of this batrachian is high mortality in time of spring migration on our country roads crossing their territories. Indeed, as soon as the climatic conditions become favorable for the awakening and the reproduction, of the thousands of clamping plates move then towards their site of laying which corresponds to their birthplace in general: they must then often cross extremely attended routes. Hundreds of them will even perish under the wheels of not very concerned motorists not being able to make it differently so much there of A. Souvenez, the route is not only slipping in the event of rain, it is doubly dangerous in the event of rain and of presence of batrachians. Fortunately there exist now “tunnels” of migration of Amphibians which are laid out under the roadways crossing of the important migration paths.

Reproduction of the clamping plates

After these asphalted considerations, let us return to our clamping plate. The males are so in a hurry to find a partner whom they can clutch up to ten on a female which will be likely to perish embedded under the burden. I could observe the last spring of the dead females of due to the power of the front armlevers of the first clutched male which tightened more and more extremely whereas other applicants clutched themselves in their turn.

In connection with reproduction, let us announce that the female is able to lay approximately 8000 eggs laid out into double gelatinous cords fixed on the watery plants. The tadpoles, which live in a gregarious way, are recognized easily by their modest size (3cm) and their #841029 color; they thus gather bandages some close to surface and at the edge of the water supply points where the temperature is higher. The majority of them will perish of attacks of predatory (larvae of watery insects, tritons, fish), or of adverse conditions (pollution, draining) and only 1% of them will produce an adult able to give a descent. is particularly selective for the whole of the clamping plates and frogs.

The “rains of clamping plates” as one spoke about it formerly hold because of massive emergence of young people after abundant rains. Those, as of the metamorphosis which takes place in general at the end of June, take refuge in small anfractuosities of the ground or under stones and remains vegetable. They will then carry out all their life a terrestrial existence (except for the laying), twilight and night. The toad is , seems to know very well his territory of hunting and in theory always returns to the same refuge, years after years.

Recall

The handling of the animal is without danger to the man. In addition the whole of the batrachians and reptiles of France are strictly protected, like their biotopes. The taking away in nature are prohibited.

Pierre-Yves