EXPRESS-NEWS (San Antonio, Texas) 05 August 07 Frogs are thriving these days amid Texas rainy conditions (Forrest M. Mims III)
Frogs are in trouble around the world. Their population has been declining, and the reason is unclear.
Some scientists claim they are being killed by high levels of ultraviolet due to a declining ozone layer. But ozone is recovering, and clouds and haze also regulate UV.
Other scientists believe frogs are being attacked by a fungus that kills them. In fact, some scientists have reported that the disease might be spread by biologists who fail to clean their boots after they survey ponds and wetlands for diseased frogs.
The frog population seems to be doing fine at our place on Geronimo Creek. Leopard frogs are hiding in the tall grass along the creek bank, apparently waiting for a tasty insect to wander by. Small frogs that I have yet to identify can be seen hopping across muddy areas.
Green tree frogs blend in so well with leaves and grass that we rarely see them in their natural habitat. So it's a treat when they stop by the house to perch on a window.
During a break between the recent rain showers, I bent down to look at a flower in a small meadow and was surprised to see a juvenile green tree frog perched in the fold of a blade of Johnson grass. The little frog was not much bigger than a pencil eraser. It didn't move a muscle as I made many photos from various angles. It was still there an hour later.
The green tree frog is known to amphibian experts as Hyla cinerea . It doesn't take an expert to identify them, for they are grass green and usually decorated with a yellowish racing stripe along either side of their bodies. Several spots are often sprinkled across their backs.
Leopard frogs and grasshoppers love to jump, but green tree frogs prefer to walk. Like other frogs, they enjoy serenading one another and anyone else within range.
Because I lack music appreciation credentials, it's best to leave the evaluation of their melody to www.enature.com, which reports their noise is a "quank, quank" when heard nearby and "cowbell-like when heard at a distance."
The green tree frog is found across most, but not all, of South and East Texas. According to the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas, green tree frogs prefer to live in wet or moist areas "such as swamps, lakesides, and the edges of streams." In view of all the rain, this pretty well describes Seguin and most of South and Central Texas.
Green tree frogs are part of nature's food chain. They eat insects, and they, in turn, are consumed by various birds and animals. A Texas A&M study found that tree frogs comprise 5 percent of the diet of cattle egrets.
Green tree frogs are popular pets. While they are easily cared for, some reports on the Web claim that some are injured during their trip to the pet store. Our kids stayed out of this loop by keeping as pets only frogs they captured themselves.
Frogs are thriving these days amid Texas rainy conditions