Mustachioed Toad

Nope, this blog is not about any of my old boyfriends (this time) or my husband (who does happen to have a mustache). It’s about male Emei mustache toads that grow mustaches made of between ten and sixteen spines on their upper lips during the breeding season and are found in and around a river near Mount Emei in Sichuan, China. In their case the mustache is an essential, violent weapon. The male toads use the spines to gain control of the nest site. They head-butt each other in the belly with their spiny mustaches and the victor controls the nest site. The victorious toad continues to care for eggs that have been fertilized by his rival and of course fertilizes any further eggs laid in the nest site. The fighting ends at the end of the breeding season when the females leave and the males’ spiny mustaches fall out.