American Toads (Bufo americanus) were out mating on Saturday (3/19/11). I’d seen their eggs previously but they were out in force this past weekend!

This happy toad is about to let loose with its high pitched trill in his attempt to attract a mate. Note that his vocal, or gular, pouch is just beginning to inflate. The vocal pouch is where the sound comes from when a toad sings.

One male rides atop a female while another male looks to the wall to mate.

Mating can be a rough and tumble affair for toads, anything that moves is fair game. Here, three males vie for a single female. One male goes so far as to stick his fingers in another male's eyes!

In this close view of the above photo you can see how mating can be difficult for some toads. I'm sure the eye poking was purely accidental.

There were at least 6 toads swimming around in the filter that cleans the water in the pond at the Black Bear Exhibit. The toads were oblivious to where they were, concerned only with passing on their genes.

Animal Keeper Jill holds a pair of toads that she removed from the filtration system for the Black Bear pond.

Skinks.

The first of the season Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis) was seen wiggling across the path in Explore the Wild (3/19/11).

Snakes.

The first of the season Northern Water Snake (Norodia sipedon) was basking on a willow trunk in the Wetlands (3/19/11).

More to come!!

Eastern Painted Turtles, and Yellow-bellied Sliders (shown here) were out in numbers basking, including "Chip." Chip's the one missing part of her shell. That's her favorite perch.

The first Common Snapping Turtles of the season were spotted yesterday as well.

Two snappers were seen yesterday feeling their way around the Wetlands after their long slumber.

The American Toad that I heard in Catch the Wind last Thursday (3/3/11) was busy in the U-shaped pond next to the Ornithopter.

Strings of eggs were deposited in the pond next to the Ornithopter in Catch the Wind (3/17/11).

And, several times during the past week or so I’ve witnessed the Red-shouldered Hawks mating.

After a brief mating, both hawks shake out their feathers and take off.

There’s a lot of aerial display, loud screeching and general showing off that leads up to the actual mating, but copulation last only a few seconds, and then it’s back to showing off again.

Thanks to one of the kids in Summer Camp here at the Museum, who, in his search for insects next to the Wetlands, spotted and captured one of these 1.25 inch (about 30 mm) amphibians. The kids thought the toad a frog and were very excited when I happened along and told them that it was in fact a toad, at least in name.

Both the common and scientific names of this secretive amphibian contain the word toad. Eastern Narrowmouth Toad refers to the facts that it lives in the east and has a narrow, pointed head and mouth. The Latinized Gastrophryne carolinensis means belly toad of Carolina (gastro=belly, phryne=toad, carolinensis=you guessed it, of Carolina).

Narrowmouth Toads typically only come down to water during breeding season. They are primarily only active at night. You may, though, be able to hear their bleating calls during cloudy or rainy weather.

These little toads are not true toads like the American Toad or Fowler’s Toad but belong to a wide ranging family of frogs known as Microhylidae which suggest that they are small treefrogs (micro=small, hyla=tree). However, they spend most of their time in burrows, under logs, or in the leaf litter.

Notice the narrow snout. Also notice that this toad is missing its right eye, though it doesn't appear to be a recent injury, if indeed it was an injury.

Narrowmouth toads eat ants, among other small insects. The toads secrete a toxic substance from their skin which may help protect them from the bites of their prey. This secretion may also irritate your skin and eyes if you’re not careful in handling these toads, so wash your hands after picking one up, that is if you’re lucky enough to see one.

After having dug a hole with her hind legs, a Yellow-bellied Turtle (Slider) deposits her eggs along the path between the entrance to Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind.

Museum staff often encounter Yellow-bellied Turtles walking down the paved path in Explore the Wild or Catch the Wind while they (the turtles) are heading for the Wetlands after depositing their 4-12 eggs (snapping turtles usually lay from 20-30 eggs).

The double dotted lines on the pavement were made by a Yellow-bellied Turtle heading back into the Wetlands.

Sometimes the turtles are disturbed before they can lay their eggs, leaving an empty hole.

This is the hole dug by the turtle which left the tracks in the above photo. She was obviously disturbed before she could complete her mission. The hole was directly behind the bench.

There were raccoon tracks leading to, and away from, the hole in the above photo, so perhaps it was a raccoon that sent the turtle back to the water prematurely.

Sometimes a hole is dug, but not covered.

This set of eggs was left partially uncovered. I covered the eggs after photographing them, but found the nest dug up and void of eggs a few days later. I suspect that whatever caused the turtle to abandon this nest (with eggs already in it) had to be a significant disturbance.

Snapping Turtles have been up and about too.

A Common Snapping Turtle getting a breath of fresh air, and having a quick peek around the Wetlands before hauling out.

One hapless snapper was apparently wedged under a fence near the back entrance gate to the Butterfly House. The turtle was liberated with the help of “Deputy Rangers,” Dale, Al, and Cliff (Facilities Technicians Dale Hill, Al Gustafson, and Cliffton B. Hayes).

Good work men!

This snapping turtle was rescued and later sent on her way on the 15th of May after having been stuck under a fence. Snapping turtles have very long necks, powerful jaw muscles, and lightening fast reflexes, so don't try to pick one of these guys up unless you know exactly what you're in for.

On the gentler side of turtledom, there have been many Yellow-bellied Sliders and other Testudines out basking in the Wetlands.

This miniature Painted Turtle is sunning on a log next to the boardwalk in Explore the Wild.

An Eastern Musk Turtle, or stinkpot as they're sometimes called, rests on a willow branch. They've been know to climb 6 feet up in a tree.

The first “new” American Toad of the season was seen on 15 May.

No longer a tadpole, this very tiny American Toad was seen hopping along in the leaf litter near the Lemur House. Note the pine needles for size comparison.

Eastern Narrowmouth Toads (Gastrophryne carolinensis) were heard in the Wetlands during the Butterfly Bash of 15 May. Don’t expect to see these very secretive and small (1-1.5″) toads, I’ve only seen two here at the Museum and both were young and fresh out of the water. They were both seen in July and were less than 3/8″ in length. But, who knows, you may get lucky, so keep an eye out. Have a look and listen here.

Gray Treefrogs have been calling with more frequency this month. Although they’re not as easily seen as they are heard, thunderstorms and rain bring them out in numbers.

This Cope’s Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) probably thinks that I can't see it. It could easily be mistaken for a patch of lichen.

This Gray Treefrog may need to rethink its hiding strategy, it's quite obvious on the railing of the boardwalk leading down into the Wetlands.

And get a load of this little guy…

This little frog was seen on the pavement in Explore the Wild. It was hopping around in circles, apparently trying to stay off of the hot pavement in the 90º heat of the day. This peewee amphibian looks to be a Spring Peeper on its very first adventure out of the water.

A snake.

Early in the month, a young Northern Water Snake (approx. 10"-12") was observed on a lotus pad on the north side of the Wetlands.

Could the young water snake in the photo be the same one that was rescued from the Bear House back in April? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s good to see that our water snakes are successfully breeding.

And finally, a skink.

A Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis) missing part of its tail. These skinks reach a length of about 6 inches, this one's currently about 3.5 inches.

The skink in the photo must have had a run-in with a bird or some other predator, better to lose your tail than your life. Like most lizards, this lucky skink’s tail will grow back.

I’ve seen half a dozen or so Ground Skinks in the past week, most were quickly wiggling across the pavement to the safety of the grassy edge. Elsewhere, they are most often seen, or heard, as they scurry away in the leaf litter as you walk along a woodland trail.

Get out and have a look around yourself, and let me know what you see.

An American Toad fresh from the woods surrounding the Wetlands.

A toad crosses the path headed for the water to seek a mate and fertilize or lay eggs. They spend the major portion of their time in a more terrestrial habitat.

The toads began to move down into the Wetlands in numbers during the last week in March, crossing the pavement and massing on the north side of the water amongst the willows and rushes.

Once the toads reach the water the males find a prominent perch from which to call out to the rest of the toad world proclaiming their availability.

A toad belts out its long rolling, trill of a song from a log in the Wetlands.

Many students, here at the Museum on field trips or spring break, were able to get very close looks at the toads.

A student reaches down to touch the warty skin of an American Toad (wash your hands before eating).

The toads had also put on a show in the Black Bear Exhibit, calling and mating in the pool just below the main Black Bear Overlook.

American Toads in the bear pool.

The arrow points to a string of eggs trailing from the pair of toads.

Northern Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans) are also on the scene. I’d been seeing a few of these tiny frogs throughout March, but their numbers have increased considerably this past week. I even heard a few making their “click, click, click” call yesterday afternoon (4/1) as I stood on the boardwalk searching for their extremely well camouflaged forms in the mud alongside the Wetlands.

Can you find the Northern Cricket Frogs in this picture?

For perspective, the cricket frog on the left is sitting on pine needles. There is a sycamore seed just in front of the frog on the right. And, the floating yellow-green objects are duckweed. These are small frogs!

A newly hatched Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) makes it way to the Wetlands.

Turtles? Yes, turtles have made the news this week too. Besides all of the adult and immature turtles out basking on rocks and logs in the Wetlands, there were hatchlings making their way to the water for the first time.

A child's hand dwarfs this very young (perhaps just minutes old) painted turtle.

The hatchling painted turtle makes its final descent into the Wetlands.

School children were thrilled by the turtle’s ability to seek out and navigate to the water after having just hatched.

School children watch with excitement as the tiny turtle makes its way to the water after having crossed the wide pavement in Explore the Wild.

And finally, a Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) captivated many onlookers as it crawled through the low branches of the willows in the Wetlands, swam through the water (sending bullfrogs airborne), and finally crossed over the path.

A Black Racer swims the waters of the Wetlands much to the dismay of the amphibian residents.

The racer peeks up over the grass to see if the way is clear for the open crossing of the path in Explore the Wild.

Onlookers had to be held back so that the snake could make its way across the pavement and into the swamp next to the Black Bear Enclosure.

Hesitant to cross with the twenty some onlookers watching, the snake finally made its way across after some five minutes of, what seemd to be, serious consideration.

Cheered on by the many onlookers, the snake safely crosses the path.

I can’t wait to see what turns up next!

The same day, Spring Peepers, Upland Chorus Frogs, (The chorus frogs are the ones that sound like someone running their finger down a comb, the peepers are the higher pitched single notes heard) Pickerel Frogs, and at least one (1) American Toad was heard calling from the Wetlands or in the swamp between Catch the Wind and Explore the Wild.

A Pickerel Frog readies for the mating season.

Still no snakes. Still no odes (dragonflies/damselflies).

The snakes could very well be up, but just not out and about. It’s the odes that have me troubled. I’ve usually seen Fragile Forktails by this time each year. The only explanation I can think of as to why I haven’t seen them yet has to be the unusually cold February that we’ve had this year (by North Carolina standards). Any day now, any day.

And finally, what’s that? What are Lead Horticulturist Joe and Facilities Tech Craig looking at?

Is that a bird they're looking at?

No…

A big blue blimp went over yesterday afternoon.

It’s a blimp!

Keep looking up, you never know what’s going to sail by.

If you happen to see a tiny brown-gray creature hopping along the path in Explore the Wild or Catch the Wind, take a closer look. The offspring of the American Toads that bred in the Wetlands (and wherever else there was water at the time) back in March are no longer tadpoles, they’re now tiny toads and up on dry land where they’ll spend most of their lives. They are very small and, if not moving, can be mistaken for a pebble or tiny clump of dirt, so step with care.

It is now the time of the treefrog. Gray Treefrogs (image at left) have deposited eggs in the U-shaped pond at Flap the Wings in Catch the Wind (they develop quickly, many became miniature tadpoles within days). The adults of these frogs usually spend the daylight hours snuggled up against a branch of a tree or shrub, or inside an umbrella! Each morning during the second week of May, while opening the umbrellas at the Ornithopter, I’ve found at least one treefrog within, usually more.

I’m starting to find more Green Treefrogs as well. Tree limbs, stout grass stems, and even restroom walls all seem to suit these brightly colored frogs for places to snooze away the day (image at left of frog in restroom in Explore the Wild).

After shutting down their breeding campaigns following the cold rains of the middle of March, American Toads regrouped behind the much warmer rains that occurred during the last week of the month. The toads were back in force as many were heard, and seen, along the north shore of the Wetlands in what may best be described as a breeding frenzy.

Pickerel Frogs continued to breed in strong numbers after the cool rains of mid-March. Oddly, on more than one occasion, a Pickerel Frog was seen attempting to mate with a Bullfrog. In one instance, the Pickerel Frog was tossed off by the Bullfrog, while in another, the frogs remained together throughout the day, the Pickerel Frog atop the Bullfrog. The following day, I saw what appeared to be the same pair, on the same log!

The activity slowed to a trickle towards the end of the month. Only a few single pickerels were seen silently sitting at the water’s edge during the final days of the month.

Leopard Frogs were heard calling on March 19 from the swamp across from the Wetlands Overlook. I was not able to get a look at one, but there were several individuals calling from that location in the days that followed.

The first Snapping Turtles of the season appeared on March 8 as one large individual was seen foraging in the shallow water on the north side of the Wetlands and another much smaller member of the species was seen near the Wetlands Overlook. A large snapper was seen basking on one of the stumps in the open water of the Wetlands on the ninth day of the month.

American Toads have been calling continuously from the water near the smaller of the two Wetlands Overlooks, on the north side of the Wetlands. Although most of the toad activity had been concentrated in the northeast corner of the Wetlands, their loud, musical trill could be heard throughout. The toads were mating. One pair was seen mating in the U-shaped pond at Flap the Wings next to the Ornithopter, with long strings of eggs trailing behind the busied duo. Several of these strings of eggs were seen in the pond, presumably produced by this pair. Keep in mind, one female American Toad can lay as many as 6,000 eggs in a season. That’s a lot of eggs!

Upland Chorus Frogs, Spring Peepers, Pickerel Frogs, and Bullfrogs were also out in force. Pickerel Frogs seemed to be concentrated in the northwest corner of the Wetlands, although it may have been that their low, snore-like calls were not as obvious in other parts of the Wetlands, being drowned out by the much louder toads. However, I did have better luck actually seeing Pickerel Frogs (many of them) among the willows, and in the grass, at the northwest corner of the Wetlands.

Bullfrogs breed throughout the warm months. I’ve yet to hear their deep, throaty calls in the Wetlands this season. No need to rush things, they have all summer to breed. The other four amphibians mentioned above are strictly late winter to early spring breeders, and there’s an urgency to their activities. Why breed so early in the season, and what’s the hurry? Perhaps they get a jump on the other frogs and toads in our area (nine other species have been documented in the Wetlands) by breeding early in the season at a time when spring rains assure that there will be enough water for them to breed in. The species that are currently breeding have a relatively short life cycle. From egg to adult frog (or toad) is often only a few months’ time. These frogs and toads have to find a mate, lay eggs, and the tadpoles that hatch from the eggs have to metamorphose into frogs (or toads) all before the ephemeral pools of water that they tend to breed in dry up for the summer, which is often the case. So, it’s to their advantage to get it done quickly. Their adult lives are most often spent away from water.

Another advantage to breeding early in the season may be that there are fewer snakes about in late winter and early spring; I haven’t seen a water snake in the Wetlands yet this season. Given the large number of frogs and toads presently milling about in the water, their frog and toad minds focused on little more than procreation, a snake would do well at this time of year.

The frogs and toads must, nonetheless, be wary of predators. On one occasion, I noticed a Red-shouldered Hawk perched in a tree just above the point of heaviest toad activity in the Wetlands, the hawk’s eyes trained on the frenzied movement below. I think, though, that the hawk would be wise to devote its efforts to the capture of Bullfrogs instead: toads secrete a poison from their warts and parotoid glands (the large bumps behind each eye) which is reported to be unpalatable to those that would eat the toads. Perhaps that’s why there was a partially eaten toad floating in the water at that location later the same day.

Pickerel Frog’s skin also secretes a toxic substance which may make them unappetizing to predators. Both the American Toad’s and Pickerel Frog’s distasteful condition may help to explain why the Red-shouldered Hawks, who had spent a good part of the winter months fishing Bullfrogs out of the swamp across from the main Wetlands Overlook, are not helping themselves to the apparent amphibian buffet currently laid out before them. I’ve only seen the Red-shouldered Hawk hunting in the Wetlands on one occasion since the amphibian breeding season began.

The breeding frenzy nearly came to a halt with the coming of the relatively cool rains of the last several days of this period.