The relationship between body length, age and sexual maturity in the common toad, Bufo bufo

An investigation of the relationship between the onset of sexual maturity, age and body size in common toads Bufo bufo was started in 1984 at a pond in southern England. During the toad breeding seasons of 1984 and 1985, 7259 common toad'metamorphs'were captured and permanently marked so that if captured as adults their true age would be known. Although a very small proportion of males and females reached sexual maturity at ages of two and four years respectively, most did so much later and asynchronously. The body size of toads breeding for the first time was relatively constant for each sex and not correlated with age. The rational behind our understanding of the mechanism of female choice is discussed in the light of these results.