The common toad is one of only two toads native to the UK; the other toad is the natterjack, which is smaller than the common toad, much rarer, and tends to live in coastal areas, in sand dunes and sandy heaths. With photographs taken by Sally Murray, as she was preparing to clean out a plant pot in her garden near Ash Hill in Bishopsteignton, here are some other things you may not know about English toads…
Wildlife
Wildlife in and around Bishopsteignton
Sphinx ligustri – Privet Hawk-Moth
This beautiful caterpillar, photographed locally by Marilyn Hepworth in her garden, is the larva or child stage of the Privet Hawk-moth (or Sphinx ligustri). It was seen feeding on her lilac, although as its name suggests, the caterpillar is very fond of privet.
Araneus Diadematus – Garden Spider
One of the most common of the 650 species of spider found in the UK, known to most as the Garden Spider or Garden Cross Spider
Butterflies
Gardeners are encouraged to plant flowers and shrubs that are rich in nectar to attract butterflies to the garden and to provide a food resource. However, when the only plants that are planted to attract butterflies are non-native species, you're not going to have...
Cirl Bunting
The cirl bunting Emberiza cirlus (pronounced sirl) is a small sparrow sized farmland bird, which almost became extinct in the UK in the late 1980s and is now confined to south-west England. This was probably due to changes in farming practices, particularly the switch...
Hedgehogs
I remember when hedgehogs were a very common sight in the village and it was possible to see three or four in the garden at any one time, but I haven’t seen one in Bishopsteignton (dead or alive) for years. The Hedgehog Preservation Society states that there is...