Hi. I live in the area of an American endangered species, the Houston Toad. Here, there is a 100 square mile pine forest out separate from the main Texas piney woods called the Lost Pines of Texas. It is the home of a small gentle toad that looks like a small peice of burned oatmeal. There is another small population near the city of Houston Texas. That is the entire range of the little creature in the whole world. Its breeding song sounds like the small trill of song birds in the dark. They breed on a pond on my land. They like fishless shallow water in which to breed.

I have made shallow trenches on my land which I maintain full of water in Febuary, March, near the breeding pond whih is natural, however, has fish and other predators.

In the last few years, American Bullfrogs have appeared in the natural pond and as you know they snap up every creature that can fit in their mouths.( although their song is quite magnificant).

According to biologists who have visited my place, the Houston Toads breed in early spring, they need sandy soil in which to make their burrows and shallow embankments down to the breeding areas, hopfully fishless so I try to provide these for them carefully built with a shovel and pumped fllof well water.

Interstingly, biologists discovered many run over toads trying to reach breeding areas near a State Hiway here, so toad fences were built along the road leading to toad crossings under the hiway I kid you not.

Just to inform of what goes on in a small out of way area of Texas.

Melissa Bishop

One Marine Toad female Flaty
One African Bullfrog male Dadio
One Albino American Bullfrog female Idelphia
One touquise blue Dumpy frog who always returns to her home when at large in the bathroom.

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