Toads used to be listed as one of the "five poisonous animals", but now they are "three protected animals"

In April 2023, a case was published in the newspaper: someone was detained for catching a "toad"!

Many of my friends may think that this is a bit too much: "Why am I being detained now for the toads that I used to catch and play with in the fields when I was a child?" It is true. Even toads are "three-protected animals" and are protected by law in our country. Today I will talk to you about these things about toads and three-protected animals.

Toad is a folk name. Generally, we divide common frogs into two types: frogs with smooth bodies and good looks; and toads with bumps and lumps. There are many types of toads distributed in my country, such as the Chinese giant toad, the black-rimmed toad, the flower-backed toad, etc., and the most common one in Beijing is the Chinese giant toad. Most of the "toads" seen in parks, green spaces, ponds and wetlands are it. The characteristics of the Chinese giant toad can be highlighted in one word: big. The body length can grow to more than ten centimeters. Generally, female giant toads are larger than males. The skin of the whole body is very rough, and there are many bumpy "warts" on the back and limbs. Especially behind its eyes, there is a pair of large oval protruding glands, called "post-auricular glands". When encountering enemies and needing to protect themselves, the post-auricular glands and skin can secrete venom. This venom will have adverse effects on the heart and nervous system if it enters the human body. However, if it only contacts the skin, it will not endanger human safety as long as it is rinsed with clean water as soon as possible. However, if it contacts the mucous membranes such as the eyes and nasal cavity, it may cause poisoning, which may cause numbness and pain at the mildest, dizziness, fainting, and even death at the worst. It may be fatal to smaller animals such as cats and dogs. Therefore, in folklore, toads are highly poisonous and are one of the "five poisons". There is even a saying that touching a toad will cause scabies all over the body.

Image from Tuchong.com

In fact, the venom of the toad is very precious to it. It will only be used in dangerous moments when its life is at stake. Normal touch will not cause it to secrete venom. Usually, when the Chinese giant toad encounters danger, it will swallow a lot of air to make itself round like a balloon to avoid being swallowed by enemies. At the same time, it will "urinate" when the enemy touches it. Although it looks ugly and stupid, the Chinese giant toad is a good insect catcher. It can catch a large number of agricultural and forestry pests, which has a certain beneficial effect on human production and life.

So what are the "three-have" animals? This starts with the protection level of wild animals in my country. The latest list of key protected wild animals promulgated in the "Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" includes national first-level and second-level protected wild animals, and some regions have local key and general protected wild animals. According to Article 10, paragraph 4 of the "Wildlife Protection Law", the list of "three-have" protected animals is stipulated. The "three-have" refers to "terrestrial wild animals with important ecological value, scientific value, and social value". Although these animals are not included in the list of national key protected wild animals, they are also protected by law. If the illegal hunting of "three-have" animals is worth more than 10,000 yuan, it meets the criminal filing standard and is subject to imprisonment of not more than three years, detention, control or a fine. If the criminal filing standard is not met, according to the relevant provisions of the "Wildlife Protection Law", the wildlife administrative department shall confiscate the hunted animals and illegal gains and impose a fine.

Now, as the urban environment is getting better and better, many wild animals have returned to live with people. At the same time, our travel is becoming more and more convenient. It is easy to travel by car, bus, train, etc., which gives us more and more opportunities to come into contact with wild animals, many of which are protected animals. For example, sparrows are common in cities. There are several species of sparrows distributed in China. The most common one is the tree sparrow, which is distributed in most parts of the country. There are also house sparrows common in some areas of the west and northeast. There are also hedgehogs that are increasing in cities. The most common in the east is the Far Eastern hedgehog, and the common "Yanbahu" bats. Common species include the common winged fox and the horse iron horseshoe bat. Reptiles such as geckos, the most common in Beijing is the webbed gecko, and snakes, such as the black-browed rat snake and the red-banded snake are relatively common. Amphibians, in addition to toads, are also relatively common species such as black-spotted frogs, wood frogs, and golden-line frogs.

Protecting wild animals, including the three protected animals, is actually a form of protection for the sustainable use of natural resources, because natural resources do not belong to a certain person, but are the wealth of all mankind. They need to be used in a planned and rational manner, rather than being available to everyone at will. If this happens, they may quickly become exhausted, which is a loss for all mankind. In addition, protecting wild animals is also a form of protection for the natural environment, because every organism has its own ecological niche in nature. If one or more species become extinct, it is likely to disrupt the ecological balance in nature, which may then lead to very serious ecological disasters, which will also affect us humans. Therefore, protecting wild animals is not just about protecting the environment and nature. The essence behind this is to protect us humans ourselves.

Some friends may ask: "According to what you said, all wild animals cannot be killed at will?" In fact, I personally suggest that as long as it is a wild animal, it is best not to harm or capture it. It is not only a legal constraint, but the protection of wild animals is also a manifestation of our human social civilization.

This article is a work supported by Science Popularization China Starry Sky Project

Author: Li Weiyang

Reviewer: Huang Chengming (Researcher, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Produced by: China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.