Green Toad
Status: VU category B2ab(ii,iii,iv); D2. A rare species in Kyrgyzstan, with a sharp decline in population density in recent times. Insufficiently studied taxonomically [28], it is significant as an object of evolutionary research and in terms of preserving the regional gene pool, being one of two representatives of the Bufonidae family in the fauna of the Republic.
General distribution and in the country. From Europe, North Africa, and the Near East to Central Asia [16], where its range is limited to the valleys of the Chu and Kopa rivers, with the southern boundary at the Moyunkum desert [6, 20, 28]. In Kyrgyzstan - the Chui Valley up to the foothills of the Kyrgyz Range and the floodplain of the Talas River at the border with Kazakhstan. Green Toads from these areas were previously classified as forms “turanensis” and “asiomontanus,” which are synonyms of B. danatensis Pisanetz (the Danat Toad, found in the rest of Kyrgyzstan).
Habitat. Anthropogenic landscapes in the Chui and Talas valleys, low-grass steppes in the foothills of the Kyrgyz Range, at altitudes up to 1200 m above sea level.
Population. The Green Toad in Kyrgyzstan is characterized by a relatively low population density for species of this complex. In breeding sites in the lower reaches of the Ak-Suu River, the maximum density reaches 10-12 pairs per hectare. In the foothills of the Kyrgyz Range, along the gorges of the Jylamysh, Alamedin rivers, etc., from 1-3 to 15 individuals were observed during one hour of route accounting (on transects 5 m wide along the shoreline) [20]. Over the past 12-16 years, a decline in numbers and a reduction in range (in Kyrgyzstan) have been noted.
Life style (life cycles). Emergence from hibernation and the beginning of reproduction depend on the phenological characteristics of the year, usually observed from March to May. The breeding period is extended. Outside the breeding period, they are crepuscular, and in the hot summer months, they are predominantly nocturnal. The number of eggs in a clutch is 3-12 thousand. The emergence of juveniles onto land occurs from June to August. The main food items for adults are ants, true bugs, caterpillars, ground beetles, earwigs, and mollusks [1, 20]; tadpoles consume detritus and algae [16].
Limiting factors. Reduction of suitable breeding sites due to irrigation works, regulation of mountain river flows, land plowing, as well as habitat pollution, competition with the tetraploid species B. danatensis, and mortality on highways.
Breeding (keeping in captivity). There are fragmentary data [15, 18]; no breeding is conducted in Kyrgyzstan. In BPI, positive results have been achieved in a number of interspecies hybridization experiments [20].
Existing conservation measures. No special conservation measures have been developed. Habitats and populations in the Tokmak reserve are protected under a general regime.
Recommended conservation measures. Designation of protected areas in the lowland part of the habitat (in the floodplain of the Ak-Suu River near the village of Tyulek) and in the mountainous part (in the gorges of the Alamedin or Jylamysh rivers).
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Green Toad
Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768
Status: Vulnerable (category VU B2ab (ii, iii, iv); D2), a west-Palaearctic species, rare and, in addition, insufficiently studied in Kyrgyzstan, with sharply reducing stock. The species is valuable for evolutionary research and preservation of the regional genetic fund. Territories of occupancy in the country are limited by anthropogenic landscapes in the Chui Valley and in the extreme lower part of the Talas Valley; the Green Toad also populates low-herb steppes on the northern slope of the Alexander Mountain Range, up to 1,200 m above sea level. Adults complete hibernation from March to May, they are night-active insectivores; the period of reproduction is prolonged. The maximum number is up to 10-12 pairs per hectare (in the vicinity of Tyulek village); fertility is 3-12,000 eggs per clutch. Limiting factors: pollution and reduction of habitats, melioration, ploughing, competitors (B. danatensis Pisanetz), and mortality on highways. At present, it is protected only by common routine in the Tokmak wildlife area. To protect the Green Toad, it is recommended to create reservations in the lowland part of the area (in the Ak-Suu River valley) and one in the mountain (in a gorge of the Alamedin or Jylamysh River).