Frogs in the Yard… Well, Mostly the Neighbor’s Yard

Rick and I have had several frogs visit the yard over the past year or so.  With all the rain we’ve had in the area I’ve been hearing frogs calling at night in the pond a few yards away.  Wanting to know who was out there I used the TPWD website listed below and just tried matching the calls.  So far I’ve identified calls from the Sheep Frog, (call), Northern Cricket Frog (call), and Green Frog (call).  That’s a lot of variety!  The TPWD site is great for identfying calls.  Most of the time (at least for me) I'll hear a frog and never actually see it.

One little guy that we have seen in the yard is the Gray Tree Frog (call).  We found him camped out on the septic system box.  He hung around for a few days and left us to find a better septic system box somewhere else. 

 

Gray Tree Frog

Another notable frog in the area is the Rio Grande ChirpingFrog (call).  I’ve heard this sound ever since I moved to Texas a few years ago.   Story time: back in our old house near Houston, Rick and I heard this weird noise from outside only to find a Southern Flying Squirrel in a tree.  I was convinced they made this strange little chirping sound… until I started to hear that sound all over.  Coming to the realization that Houston is not overrun with Southern Flying Squirrels the critter that made the little chirps remained elusive until recently when members of Rio Brazos Audubon were having the same problem identifying the sound.  One of our own, Mark McDermott, suggested the frog might be making the chirp.   We finally got the answer!   Thanks, Mark!

Toad Adobe!

Going a little bit off topic but still a fun project for the summer…. You can build your own toad abode in your backyard or garden!  Rick and I went to McKinney Roughs Nature Park in Bastrop and there was one in the demonstration garden.  It’s a great way to encourage those wonderful insect-eating critters.  You can buy one or they’re easy enough to make.  All you need is an old flowerpot and some rocks (see the picture below). Also, it’s a great kids project where they can paint or glue stuff to decorate. 

Currently, my toad abode remains empty… I even recently put in a pool to make the place more attractive but so far no tenants have dropped in.  But it’s there and hopefully one day we’ll have a resident toad.

Left: Toad abode from McKinney Roughs Nature Park.  Right: My toad abode with newly installed toad pool.

ID Help!

Any idea what this frog is?  I’ve tried the websites listed below but nothing really fits.  I'm leaning towards a Cricket Frog (Acris sp.) even though I can’t see the characteristic dark triangle on the head (although, from some of the pictures I’ve looked at online it’s sometimes hard to see).  This little guy was seen at Lick Creek Park crossing Raccoon Run trail near one of the pools of water. 

Cricket Frog?  Seen at Lick Creek Park this week.

Interested in Helping Out?

If you're interested in frogs and toads, Texas Parks and Wildlife has a program called Texas Amphibian Watch where you can be a citizen scientist can collect population data.  The website has a short video (about 9 minutes) covering the importance of frogs and the basics of the program.

What frogs can you hear at night?  Ever had toad visitors to your yard?  Share your stories in the comments section below!

Resources!

TPWD Frog calls:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/texas_nature_trackers/amphibian_watch/amphibian_species/

Frogs of Texas listing:

http://www.herpsoftexas.org/view/frogs

Toad Abode Information:

http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/gardening/archives/2006/backyard-houses-for-toads.aspx

TPWD Amphibian Identification Resource List:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/texas_nature_trackers/amphibian_watch/references/