Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/ident_images/bufobufo2_2.jpg < image reference at this link.

The common toad is an amphibian that lives in ponds, and marsh areas across the country.
They are quite common, and can be distinguished from frogs by their warts, and its warty appearance.
Toads are generally looked upon as ugly, and unattractive animals, other than appearances, they are very similar to the common frog.

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/naturelibrary/images/ic/credit/640x395/c/co/common_toad/common_toad_1.jpg < image reference at this link.

The Toad secretes a chemical from special glands on the skin, to deter predators from eating it.
The chemical acts as a poison.
This is an evolutionary advantage that the toad has, and has developed over millennia.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Adult_Cane_toad.jpg < image reference at this link.

http://www.surrey-arg.org.uk/SARG/08000-TheAnimals/SpeciesPages/Common_Toad/Common_Toad_Portrait.jpg < image reference at this link.

The Toad has quite a cultural stigma attached to it, with an association with the themes of witchcraft and bad luck.
This is reinforced because the Toad often can be seen lurking around in dark, and damp places, and in the middle ages, anyone caught with a pet toad was often deemed as a witch, and witches were trialled in a very unfair manner, often undergoing trials that killed them regardless of verdict.

http://www.bartjcarroll.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/witch-with-toad-familiars1.gif < image reference at this link.

Below are a few very rough sketches of Toads that I have illustrated, to be updated as I add more.

A very rough illustration of a toad that I sketched.

Thomas.