Treasure of the month October: Common toad in CT scan
1 October 2017
Photo: UHH/CeNak, Karolin Engelkes
Skeleton and shoulder girdle muscles of a common toad, visualization based on a CT scan.
October's Treasure of the Month is a common toad (Bufo bufo) found in Denmark in 1968. These brown-grey, warty animals are widespread in Europe, among other places. In the herpetological collection (amphibians and reptiles) of LIB there are several hundred individuals of this amphibian species, including not only adults but also juveniles, tadpoles and spawn.
The skeleton and musculature of the shoulder girdle are currently being examined on our Treasure of the Month. For this purpose, computer tomographic (CT) scans of the common toad were taken in an FF35 CT in cooperation with the Hamburg-based company YXLON International GmbH. The CT scans show the shape and position of the skeletal elements and - through contrast staining with iodine - also the soft tissues such as muscles and internal organs. Comparison of the shoulder girdle anatomy of different frog species then allows conclusions to be drawn about the evolution and function of the individual girdle elements.
LIB's herpetological collection is the fifth largest collection of reptiles in Germany. In total, the collection houses about 65,000 specimens (about 30 % amphibians), mainly as alcohol preparations, but also several hundred dry preparations (skeletons, carapaces, reptile skins).