This is a featured photo of the month. I will try and update this monthly with a favorite photo.
Common Name: Black-spined Toad
Scientific Name: Duttaphrynus melanostictus
Date Taken: December 15, 2025
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand
Photographer: Howard Cunningham
Native to South and Southeast Asia, including Thailand. It is highly adaptable and often found in urban areas, agricultural land, and forests, typically active at night. It is recognizable by its dry, warty skin and distinctive black-tipped spines on its back. It feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, playing an important role in pest control. Breeding usually occurs during the rainy season, when females lay long strings of eggs in temporary or permanent water bodies. Like many toads, it produces mild toxins from its skin glands as a defense against predators.
