Flat backed toad

Introduction: Flat-Backed toads (Amietophrynus maculatus) favour shallow, or slow-moving water bodies such as rivers, weirs and dams, typical of lowveld grassland and savannah vegetation.

Distribution: The entire northern reaches of Namibia, including Epupa Falls, Ruacana Falls, the Kavango region, Rundu and the Zambezi Region (formerly the Caprivi Strip).

Diet: Ants, termites and spiders.

Colouration: Maculatus is Latin for 'spot', which refers to the spots on the back. The upperparts are light to dark brown. Dark brown patches on the snout and behind the eyes. The skin is covered with warts. The underside is an off-white with dark grey speckles.

Breeding: Tadpoles grown to a length of around 17mm. Development is complete after 2 weeks.

Maximum size: 80mm.