Toads!

When I got off work this evening there was a wonderful surprise waiting: Fowlers toads were calling from the puddles and drainage ditches around the parking lot. It made me feel very nostalgic for the Cape (this is the first time Ive heard them off the Cape). Fowlers toads are the stereotypical toad we all envision: lumpy and dull looking. Their cry is very distinct though: they sound like possessed wind-up toys screaming out in short bursts. When I think about how excited creatures get about mating Fowlers toads are the first thing to come to mind. I remember seeing a drowned female Fowlers toad on the Cape with three males still holding on to her waiting for her to release eggs for them to fertilize. The weight of the males had pushed her under the water and killed her. Yet, the toads were still hanging on. They were so focused on breeding they didnt notice she was dead. Single minded, huh?

Anyway, things are going pretty well down here in Florida. Im gearing up for my nice 1.5 week vacation to NM. Ive been working 6 day a week for forever, so am very excited to finally experience the payoff. Not that the work is bad, its just getting to be that time of the summer when Im ready to move on. It happens at every tech job, because you do the same task over and over. Its gotten to the point where I know before I even get to my survey sites which ones are going to have bog frogs and which arent. Im still surprised sometimes, but Ive pretty much got their number for this year. Which is fine, because Ive start the last round of surveying.

I dont know if Ive written about this yet, but Tom and I have started catching bog frogs too. Hes trying to look at survival of individuals over time, so we are capturing frogs and inserting a small tag under their skin. Each tag has a unique number that only shows up under black light. This allows us to identify each frog when we recapture them. Its pretty cool stuff, but the coolest thing is standing in the swamps with my headlamp off and listening for bog frog calls. I have to follow a frogs call back to the frog, which can be hard, because some of them realize that I want to catch them (they dont appreciate that its in the name of science!) and stop calling when I approach. Its a fun little game. There are other frogs calling all around you too. Primarily we hear cricket and bronze frogs. Cricket frogs are ridiculously loud for their diminutive size. It can be disorienting if there are several calling at head level (which happens because they actually climb trees- something I never knew!).

Another common citizen of swamps is the cottonmouth snake (or water moccasin). We average about two sightings a night. Usually they are less than a foot long, but one night one about 3 feet long slide between me and Tom. Theyre very beautiful snakes with reddish bands down their body and a broad triangular head. I enjoy these opportunities to watch them in their habitat (instead of crossing a road, which is where I usually see my snakes). They casually slide over the surface of the mud (that I sink into up to my knees sometimes) flicking their tongues in and out. Weve never had one display at us. They pretty much just get out of the way.

This weekend Im headed up to Alabama to visit Patience. Havent seen her in forever and a half so Im really looking forward to it. Should get to spend a good amount of time on her dads sailboat, which is always nice!