Cryptic Species
Fowler's toad looks similar to the more nocturnal American toad, though slightly smaller and with several subtle distinguishing features: 3 or more warts within each dark spot on its back (an American toad having 1 or 2 warts in each dark spot), no greatly enlarged warts on the tibia, and the parotoid gland touching the cranial crests behind the eyes [the gland secretes a milky alkaloid substance, bufotoxin, to deter predators; it acts as a neurotoxin] – the two species often hybridize and an extreme amount of variability exists in both throughout their expansive geographic range
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Landsford Canal State Park, SC – 2019JUN04 – Shoals Spider Lily:
I've long wanted to see the largest known stand of the rocky shoals spider lily in peak bloom on the Catawba River, Number One on the Landsford Canal State Park's Top 5 Things To Do.
Today we drove into South Carolina just to see those spider lilies!
We also explored the Canal Trail and read the interpretive text along the path to understand the incredible work done on the trail by 1820s standards. "Next time" we want to paddle the shoals and appreciate the power of a piedmont, fall line river.
Hope you enjoy the 14% of 144 photos we took here this day!
Cryptic Species
Fowler's toad looks similar to the more nocturnal American toad, though slightly smaller and with several subtle distinguishing features: 3 or more warts within each dark spot on its back (an American toad having 1 or 2 warts in each dark spot), no greatly enlarged warts on the tibia, and the parotoid gland touching the cranial crests behind the eyes [the gland secretes a milky alkaloid substance, bufotoxin, to deter predators; it acts as a neurotoxin] – the two species often hybridize and an extreme amount of variability exists in both throughout their expansive geographic range
___________________________________________________
Landsford Canal State Park, SC – 2019JUN04 – Shoals Spider Lily:
I've long wanted to see the largest known stand of the rocky shoals spider lily in peak bloom on the Catawba River, Number One on the Landsford Canal State Park's Top 5 Things To Do.
Today we drove into South Carolina just to see those spider lilies!
We also explored the Canal Trail and read the interpretive text along the path to understand the incredible work done on the trail by 1820s standards. "Next time" we want to paddle the shoals and appreciate the power of a piedmont, fall line river.
Hope you enjoy the 14% of 144 photos we took here this day!