From the Floods Came the Frogs

This week in our neighborhood, we have had a plague: the roads are covered in tiny frogs. There are thousands of them. You can not walk--- much less drive--- without hurting a herp. We went around the block early this morning, tiptoeing through them. They have great camouflage on the asphalt.

There were places where they were noticeably absent and then you would look ahead and see the pavement moving.

Yesterday morning when I went to school, our driveway was full of them. Today there are only a few; but down the road there were lots.

We noticed that the frogs were on the roads, not in the grass. We guess that the grass, while it offers concealment, also presents too much resistance and tiny foods can more easily be found on the pavement.

It surprises us that we have not seen birds or other animals eating them. Perhaps the variety of food offerings since the rains is so vast that these are not the preferred menu item. Even the large skink that has taken up residency in our garage did not seem impressed with the little frogs that had ventured in there. So at this point, cars are their main predator.

Only a couple of them would stay still long enough to have their picture taken.

"At least B's arm hairs offer something to cling to!"

 

Palm reading frogs:

"So let's take a look at your lifeline and your heart line.....hmmmm.... I see...."

I sent an email with a couple of pictures to an extension agent for identification but have not heard back yet. We think they might be Greenhouse frogs. Those are unique in that they have no tadpole stage: they hatch tiny frogs straight from the eggs.

 

 

Larvae Update:

Mosquitoes are hatching in the jar, daily.

We have one caterpillar that made its chrysalis last week.