Drought Reveals Unknown Breeding Habits Of Toads In Santa Monica Mountains
The prolonged drought in California had at least one silver lining for researchers studying wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains. Native western toads were found to be breeding in September, the latest ever known observation for the species, which has a breeding season that typically begins in late January. Western toads need pools of water to breed, and without winter rains, it wasn’t until an unusual summer rain event, caused by Eastern Pacific Hurricane Linda, that the toads in this particular spot bred.
- By NPT Staff - September 5th, 2017 3:00am