As way to deter predators glands in a toad's skin secrete a toxic substance, so if an animal wants to eat a toad they have to remove its skin first.
Otters are known to neatly peel the poisonous skin off toads using their teeth and front paws before eating the flesh inside, behaviour that is likely to be learned through trial and error, says Jules Howard.
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You can sometimes find many toads killed this way, with the predators leaving small piles of discarded skins behind.
Some animals use other techniques to avoid ingesting the toad's skin, notably corvids and rats, which can peck or gnaw through a toad's soft underbelly then pull out and feed on its internal organs. A mysterious case of 'exploded toads' at a pond in Germany in 2005 was later put down to predation by crows.
Similarly gory scenes are not uncommon near breeding ponds in spring, when toads congregate in large numbers and become rather conspicuous.
Nevertheless, populations usually recover naturally.
