Western Leopard Toad Monitoring Programme: UPLOAD YOUR TOAD

If you are an iNaturalist observer merely upload your toad on this site! If not: sign up here: http://www.inaturalist.org if you have a smartphone - get the iNaturalist app and load the project WLT Monitoring

The Western Leopard Toad Sclerophys pantherina, is classified as Endangered by the IUCN as it lives within a very small part of Western Cape Province. This toad is in urgent need of conservation, but before we can make comprehensive conservation management plans, we need to find out more about how many adult toads are living in different areas.

Here is how you can help:

Each toad has a unique pattern on its back which can be used to identify it, rather like a fingerprint. If we can get good images of the backs of all the toads in your area, it will help us in three ways:

* We can find out where the toad you photograph goes to breed each year by matching the photograph you take with images taken at breeding sites.
* We can use individual patterns recorded in the photographs as unique marks which can tell us how far the toads travel, especially if the same toad is pictured many times in different places.
* We can find out how long toads live for, and how many get killed on the roads, and the total population sizes.

Here is what to do if you have a smartphone:

Sign up to iNaturalist www.inaturalist.org
Upload the iNat app to your phone: (either Android or Apple: the links are at the very bottom of this page)
Add the project WLT Monitoring to your app : https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/wlt-monitoring

Go out and photograph the toads. The app will prod your for some additional information like Sex, State & Breeding: fill them in and send.

Remember: the picture should be in focus, show the whole of the back of the animal from above, and include something for scale (e.g. R5 coin, matchbox, ruler)

A useful photograph shows the markings on the back of the toad which may be used for the identification of this individual as well as an indication of size.
A useless photograph for monitoring could be a really groovy mugshot, and quite suitable for an iNaturalist observation However, it isn't any help to monitoring as it does not show the markings on its back which are used for identification, and a scale.
You can place several photographs of your toad on your observation: please make sure that one is suitable for monitoring! You can put your groovy photos first if you like.

NB: :Please make a separate observation for each toad: only one toad per observation!

Here is what to do if you dont use a smartphone:

If you have any toads in your garden, or if you find toads at a friend's house or on a walk:

* Take a picture of the back of the toad.
It will need to be in focus, show the whole of the back of the animal from above, and include something for scale (e.g. R5 coin, matchbox, ruler)

A useful photograph shows the markings on the back of the toad which may be used for the identification of this individual as well as an indication of size.
A useless photograph for monitoring could be a really groovy mugshot, and quite suitable for an iNaturalist observation However, it isn't any help to monitoring as it does not show the markings on its back which are used for identification, and a scale.
You can place several photographs of your toad on iNaturalist: please make sure that one is suitable for monitoring, you can put your groovy photos first if you like.

Make a note of the place where you took the picture. This can be:

a street address,
a GPS co-ordinate,
or you can use the iNaturalist Googlemap to find your locality

Make a note of the time and date that you took the picture (usually your camera will record this).

Just load it as you would a normal observation, by clicking on "Upload" and following instructions.
Add the Project "WLT Monitoring" if your observation contains a photograph especially for monitoring.
NB: :Please make a separate observation for each toad: only one toad per observation!

REMEMBER:

Make sure that your photo shows the whole back of the toad, it is in focus and contains an object such as a coin for scale.
Make a note where you took the photograph.
Keep a record of the date and time you took the photograph.