Surinam Toad Habitat
Habitat of Surinam Toad
Where does a Surinam Toad Live?
Surinam Toad in its habitat
Nature is full of mesmerizing facts that are hard to believe. One such fact is the breeding pattern of Surinam toad that is a species of toad found mostly in swamps and marshes of countries lying in northern South American continent. This species loves to live in slow moving water bodies and normally stay at the bottom of the water and coming out on surface only when they require air. The countries where Surinam toad is naturally found are Columbia, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. The species is also found in murky waters and slow moving rivers in rainforests.
What makes Surinam toad bizarre is its looks and its breeding pattern. The toad is paper thin and looks like as if run over by a truck. Even its head is triangular and it does not have teeth and tongue. Wait till you hear about its breeding pattern. After mating and laying eggs, mother carries close of a hundred eggs on its back where the eggs are guided to by the male. The eggs get entrenched a little deeper on the skin making pockets for their safety. Mother increases their survival chances by placing a cover of her own skin over these eggs. These eggs remain in the pouch for 2-3 months when it is time to hatch. Little toad babies come out of the pockets leaving holes on the back of the mother. This aquatic toad rarely comes out of water and is one special creature that needs protection as its population is dwindling around the world.
Surinam toad and bot fly are two examples in nature of holes in bodies that create a terror in the minds of people. This fear of holes that is irrational is termed as trypophobia. A trypophobe behaves irrationally and tries to run away from the sight of holes in a body or object. Let us take a closer look at bot fly and what it does to human body. It is a species of fly found in the jungles of Amazon that lays its eggs on hind legs of animals like horses and goats with the help of mosquitoes that act as vectors. However, in rare instances, vector mosquitoes bite human beings, leaving the eggs inside human skin. These eggs remain safely inside the skin and grow in ideal conditions that are moist and warm. When the larva finally turns into a bot fly, it makes a hole in the skin and comes out. This is a really terrible condition but thankfully has happened in rare instances. Even the last instance took place decades ago implying there is nothing to worry about bot fly.
Fear of holes and that too in human skin may be irrational, but for those who suffer from trypophobia, it is very real and they cannot help but scream in terror when they see it in nature. The patients of trypophobia, called trypophobe, need counseling from psychologists to get it over and behave in a rational manner whether they see a bot fly or a Surinam toad.
To find out more about trypophobia Click here
