Toadlings

There is not much method to the toady breeding. If it moves the males jump on it until it makes a male noise or is otherwise unattractive. They are not interested in warm stuff, but if you let your hand sit in the water for a bit they will happily cling on to it once it is clammy enough. Their thumbs are like a little horn stub that gives their forelegs a mighty strong grip on their object of affection. Most of the time the guys have air sacks on their backs pumped up to help them float about and croak for company. If disturbed or successful in finding a partner they deflate and stay down making a cute bubbly noise as the air pops out of their nostrils. The females do pop up for air every now and then during mating, so it must be a strange time for the males riding piggy back needing a lot of energy, but not knowing when the next breather might come. Still I suppose they are designed for it and we have only ever had one casualty in the years I have been living by this pond. The males adopt the repel borders back leg stance if they touch anything and give some healthy kicks to anything that moves, the eggs are a mass like caviar at first, but quickly hydrate into the jelly strings we know and love. Not a noticeable climax with many individuals competing for partners this year perhaps that is yet to come.
Wash and compressed charcoal on cartridge 31x52cm