Explanation
Natterjack toads: calls and the ponds of Doñana
Breeding calls, rainfall and how long water remains help explain the life of this amphibian.
An amphibian of Doñana
The natterjack toad, *Epidalea calamita*, is listed among the amphibians of Doñana National Park. The PIMA Adapta programme inventory records it under its former scientific name, *Bufo calamita*. This local context introduces a broader question: how amphibian reproduction relates to the availability of water in the landscape. [5468]
A call to attract females
Males visit ponds to **call to females**. They may call upright from the bank or from shallow water. The call resembles a cricket sound, but is more prolonged. Its intensity varies with the male’s size and environmental and social conditions; individuals do not all produce an identical signal. [5469]
Rainfall sets the rhythm
Breeding is not continuous throughout the year. It is closely associated with **rainfall events**, and choruses can form quickly after drought followed by rain. The timing varies with latitude and altitude: a pattern observed in one region is not a fixed timetable for every population. [5469]
Water needs to last
Temporary ponds offer breeding opportunities, but also a risk: **the water may disappear before tadpoles finish developing**. The length of the larval stage depends on environmental conditions. Drying can cause mortality; hearing a chorus therefore does not establish that breeding will be successful. [5469]
Protecting breeding places
In Doñana, PIMA Adapta documents work carried out in **2019** at the zacayones of Las Marismillas, water points important to amphibians. This included removing accumulated silt and reducing slopes where needed to improve access. These were habitat conservation measures, not measurements of call intensity or a current assessment of the natterjack toad. [5468]
Sources and method
This story synthesises the references below and separates possible observations from conclusions that would need more evidence. It does not present original FaunaGuide fieldwork or replace expert identification.
- Restauración y creación de hábitats para anfibios en Doñana — Actuaciones PIMA Adapta en el P.N. deDoñana: Restauración y creación de hábitats para anfibios Actuaciones PIMA Adapta en el P.N. deDoñana: Restauración y creación de hábitats para anfibios Navegación Quiénes somos Red de Parques Nacionales ¿Qué es un par
- Sapo corredor - Epidalea calamita - Reproducción — En cualquier caso, el período reproductor no es continuo y está muy asociado a episodios de lluvia, si bien existe variación latitudinal y altitudinal en la fenología reproductiva de esta especie. En el sur peninsular, las primeras puestas pueden encontra