One of the scarcest native amphibians in Beijing is the Mongolian Toad (Strauchbufo raddei 花背蟾蜍 Huā bèi chán chú). In other parts of the range, it is sometimes known as the Piebald Toad or the Siberian Sand Toad. It is found in North China, Mongolia, Far Eastern Russia and North Korea. The scientific name raddei, is in honour of German naturalist Gustav Radde.
As far as I am aware, in Beijing it has been recorded only in the far northwest, around Guanting Reservoir. I saw my first a couple of years ago at the Kangxi Grassland, adjacent to the reservoir. During my visits this spring to ShaCheng Wetlands, on the western side of Guanting Reservoir and over the border in Hebei Province, it was a species that I had hoped to encounter. I have been lucky to see several and have heard a few calling amongst the ubiquitous Dark-spotted Frogs (Pelophylax nigromaculatus ⿊斑侧褶蛙 Hēi bān cè zhě wā). Last weekend, I heard a few calling as I drove along a track at dusk in perfectly still conditions, providing a fabulous opportunity to record the voice.
The ‘call’ of the Mongolian Toad, May 2025
The northernmost known population is found on Olkhon Island in Lake Baikal. Apparently it hibernates in burrows, often communally. If you ever find yourself in an area with sandy soil and some wet grass or puddles/dykes and hear the croaking of a toad, it could be this guy!
Title image: a Mongolian Toad photographed at night with assistance from the car headlights, May 2025 (Terry Townshend)