Biodiversity and urban areas

Generally, when we have referred to certain aspects related to biodiversity, their focus has always been on agricultural or natural ecosystems, but it is not a secret for anyone. Sometimes in urban areas and specifically in our homes, some species of animals tend to appear, whether they are amphibians, reptiles, insects, among others. Although sometimes it is unpleasant or uncomfortable to see them in our gardens or inside the home, some of these species can be beneficial because they can control other species that cause some negative effects in our home.

The idea of writing about this topic arises from the appearance of some species of amphibians in our home, before naming which ones are I want to indicate that we are in a rural area surrounded by natural fields, but despite this, sectors like the one we are living in are completely inhabited and modified with the basic structures of urban areas, such as asphalt, sidewalks among other characteristics. Are you wondering which amphibians we are referring to? well these are the toads and frogs, which tends to appear periodically in our garden, of both we were particularly curious about the toads that we always remove them from the garden and they return to the same place.

As mentioned above, we are in an area surrounded by agricultural fields and coincidentally behind our house there is a large area of land and a certainly polluted water channel known in my region as pipes, what makes it logical that these amphibians appear is the humidity and the existing vegetation conditions, therefore, for more than a week I have been removing these amphibians, because there are several that appear! from the garden to the area where the pipe is located, but day after day they reappear in the same place.

Therefore, we decided to investigate some aspects about this species of amphibians, let's start by pointing out that they are animals that can live both on land and submerged in water, according to certain specialists they require environmental humidity constantly, because, according to them they require to have wet skin to breathe through it, despite the fact that their skin can be observed rustic or with the presence of warts it is a permeable membrane that makes them very susceptible to polluting substances, some people mention that applying salt on the skin controls them something that is true for the type of sensitive membrane they have.

t is also said that they look for humid places to reproduce, in addition, in homes where there are pets and there tends to be food residues, these specimens can occur. For these reasons is that we consider that they always return to our home because according to certain publications they are philopatric animals, or what is the same, that they always return to the same place to reproduce, in addition, in our home we have several pets such as parrots and dogs that leave certain residues and they are kept in those places at night. They really are a little big specimens.

Another fact that you should keep in mind is that, although they are harmless to humans, they generate certain toxins through the warts they have on their skin and when they feel attacked they swell, when an animal tries to eat these amphibians, they release their glandular fluid and irritate the predator's oral cavity and can cause death. We mentioned it because if we have pets such as dogs, they can get intoxicated if toads bite, we know of a specific case of a dog that died from biting a toad.

Dear readers, this publication was born out of the curiosity to know a little more about these specimens, which for some may seem strange, these animals instead of generating some problems in our they can help us control certain insects, these species are in danger of extinction they are harmless and although they are not aesthetically beautiful they are part of our biodiversity and the incredible nature that surrounds us.