Otis Wingard, age 13, of Columbia, S.C., for his question:
What is a pipa toad?
The surinam toad, scientific name Pipa pipa, is one of the most amazing members of the entire toad clan. His family name is Pipidae and it is a very small family with but three cousins in Africa and one, the surinam, living in South America. All of them are water dwelling toads. They live, eat and absorb dissolved oxygen through their skins while underwater. Air dwelling toads need long tongues to snag insects and eyelids to blink once in a while. These water dwelling toads need neither tongues nor eyelidd = and they have neither.
The pipa toad is flat and far from handsome. His tiny eyes are set far to the sides of his snout and his snout looks as though someone had used a pair of scissors to snip off its end. The toes of the hind feet are long and strongly webbed. Those hind feet make a powerful pair of paddles which take the pipa toad swimming through the water at a great rate.
Each finger on the hands ends in a four pointed star arrangement. There is a small flap of flesh which hangs down from the snout over the lower jaw. This flap, which wags back and forth like a wriggly worm, plays a very important part in the life of the pipa toad, He uses it as bait.
When not swimming, the surinam toad spreads out his flat body on the floor of his pond or stream. His star tipped fingers are spread wide on either side of his big mouth. The flap on his snout wriggles back and forth. One of these toads was on show at the famous San Diego Zoo and people were forever reporting that he was upside down which shows that this fellow does not resemble his toad and fr.og relatives at all.
He is hoping that some curious catfish will mistake that wagging flap of skin for a worm and come to investigate. Those star tipped fingers have sensitive nerves for detecting food. If a catfish comes near him, the pipa toad lunges forward and grabs himself a sizeable dinner.
Even more amazing is the way in which the pipa toad brings up its young. Most frogs and toads leave their eggs to take their chances in the water or in the clew ladened trees. Mrs. Fipa Toad takes no chances. She carries her eggs on her back, each one sealed in a little capsule, This is one time when you can be sure which is right way up, for her back is covered with a rash of warty pimples.
The new laid eggs sink into pockets of skin on the mother’s back. They are soon covered with lids made from part of the egg material. For several weeks they remain sealed in these capsules while the mother toad goes about her business. Meanwhile the eggs go completely through their fishy tadpole stage. When they finally break out they are miniature copies of their parents.