The rehydration behavior of the desert toad, Bufo punctatus

The red spotted toads, (Bufo punctatus), demonstrate a water absorption response (WR) in which they aduct the hindlimbs and press the ventral skin to a moist surface. Associated with the WR, toads showed three characteristic behaviors: (a) moves, in which the toads would systematically move to adjacent regions of the moist surface to optimize water gain; (b) settles, in which a toad would laterally oscillate its body to maximize contact area when showing the WR; and (c) kicks, in which toads would rub adherent particles from the skin with the hind feet; Measurements of the capacitance of the ventral skin, in vitro, indicate that the seat patch has a greater surface area than that of the pectoral region. The increase of surface area indicated by the capacitance values is due to the folding, evaginations, and tubercules of the skin. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)