WICHITA EAGLE (Kansas) 29 October 07 In wet year, toads abound (Beccy Tanner)
It's not a plague of biblical proportions. Nor is it a scene from the eco-vengeance movie "Frogs" in which amphibians crash through windows.
But this is the Year of Toads in Kansas.
Fat toads.
Skinny toads.
Garden toads.
Anywhere you dare to look, there are toads in the road.
The reason is simple: In dry years, toads don't mate.
This year has been wet.
Some places in western Kansas had more than 14 to 20 inches of rain by summer. Rains after that created standing water and perfect breeding grounds.
Female toads need standing water -- particularly water without fish -- to lay their eggs. One toad can lay up to 25,000 eggs. The water stood long enough for the tadpoles to fully develop.
The toads are especially abundant in Barton County, where excess water is making Cheyenne Bottoms look like an inland sea.
On a planet where toad and frog numbers are increasingly dwindling because of fungus and an excess of ultraviolet light, this has been a good year for Kansas herpetologists, those who study reptiles and amphibians.
"Frogs and toads are so vocal, all you had to do was systematically drive the back roads, turn off the car, roll down the window and listen," said Travis Taggart, associate curator of herpetology at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays.
It's also a good year for animals that eat toads.
"In the wild, those toads are like popcorn," said Joe Collins, herpetologist with the Kansas Biological Survey. "Everything eats them. Every predator is going to dine on them, from coyotes on down to garter snakes. Bass eat them. Birds eat them."
Gardeners have seen toads hiding among flowers and in the shade of trees. Lawnmowers have accidentally chewed some.
Late-night drivers can see them hopping across roads.
But don't be alarmed.
They'll cause little harm.
The toads do carry a mild toxin. If you pick up a toad, then rub your eyes, the toxin might irritate your eyes.
"If a dog puts one in his mouth, it may cause the dog's mouth to foam," Taggart said. "It's unpleasant for the dog, but it won't kill it."
On the other hand, the toads are bad news for bugs.
"In dry years when we don't have the toads, grasshoppers are worse," said Rick Snell, natural resources agent with Barton County's Kansas State University Research and Extension Service.
As adults, toads spend much of their time on land. In captivity, they can live as long as 10 to 14 years. In nature, they may live two years.
As the weather cools, the toads will go into hibernation.
If Kansas gets a few more warm days and more rain, you'll see them out and about.
If you miss them, don't worry.
They'll be back next spring.
In wet year, toads abound