Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I participate in Frog Watch USA (link in my sig) which is a wonderful program where you go out at night and listen for various species of local frogs/toads and then report what you hear. Data is collected from around the US and compiled into a national database to help monitor the frog/toad population. This is my first year doing it and I just love it. The first frog we heard this year was the Spring Peeper. Have yet to see one, buy have heard plenty! Then we started hearing the American Toads and Northern Leopard Frogs. When I went out last night I heard Bull Frogs and Green Frogs and actually SAW some frogs for the first time, up till now I've only heard them. I Frog Watch in a local Nature Preserve and they had a get together last night of the Frog Watchers so we could share our stories.

Here is a pic of the cake they made for us...

Here was the first little guy who joined our gathering...

Then we found this Bull Frog, we could hear several but this was the only one we could see (he's the brown lump in the center looking away from us. Couldn't get close enough for a good pic)

Lastly we came across some Northern Leopard Frogs. This pic was taken after dark w/ help from our flash lights.

We had a great night. I try to go once a week to listen for the frogs. If you have never heard of Frog Watch USA I highly recommend you check out their website and consider joining. It's alot of fun!
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Slytherin)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Normal Corn Snake (Mystery) coming this summer
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Chestnut)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.7 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Nala, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

Hi there:

Exceptional leopard frog and American toad. Actually, I'll have to check that picture again. It sort of looked like a Fowler's toad...

On Cape Cod we went to this cranberry bog, and there were thousands of spring peepers their coming to breed! It was deafening! It even sort of hurt when they called! Yet they were so tiny that I only saw 2, one of which I caught and kept in hand about 3 seconds.

DAVE

Hey Dave, how are ya doing? I hope to see a Peeper some day but I guess they are hard to find even if you know they are there! To the best of my knowledge the pic is an American Toad, that is the only toad currenly known in the Preserve. If it's something different that would be a major deal and I'd be thrilled. Check out my site to see my new Russian Sand Boa, he's awesome. Strikes like lightning when you reach in the enclosure, wouldn't think he could move that fast! He's totally fine once you pick him up. I'll attach a pic of him. He belonged to Kim at Markheims who brought him in to sell through the store. He was only there a day or two so not sure if you saw him. He'll definitely be coming to Kid's Club next season. I went to a Cranberry Bog on Cape Cod too. I must not have gone at the right time because I don't remember any frogs. Bummer.

This is Slytherin...

I'm very happy with him...

-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Slytherin)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Normal Corn Snake (Mystery) coming this summer
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Chestnut)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.7 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Nala, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

Hi there:

That's awesome! Is the preserve Tifft? That's a great place! With the permission of the staff, I have released local herps there that I have collected from dumpy unprotected areas that were sighted for building projects there. No, I did not get the chance to see the sand boa at Markheim's. It sure is beautiful! I think the beauty makes up for the fact that it cannot be handled. (That's why I keep ribbon snakes!) My baby American bullfrog recently finished metomorphosis. I have him in a 10-gallon vivarium with the large rock pool and everything. But don't you hate it how they foul the water?

DAVE

The Nature Preserve is actually Reinstein Woods. If you visit my website (Lyn's Lair, link in my sig) there is a page about Reinstein that includes a link to their website. It is not open to the public, but they offer lots of public tours. On the tour I took Saturday the girl showed me one pond where last week she saw about 40 Painted Turtles basking, they have Snapping Turtles, and strangely enough Red Eared Sliders which are not native, possible someone released them. A female was seen laying eggs and was positively identified. As for the Bullfrog, you might want to keep multiple water bowls. I got lucky with my Bullfrog, he was very neat. Only pooped in the water, and would then move to one of the clean bowls. I had 3 bowls for him. His poop pretty much stayed solid in the water, wasn't yicky. But if he'd stayed in with it and kicked it apart it could have gotten bad. I consider my frogs to be my highest maintenance pets (not counting the ferrets). Good luck with your Bullfrog, and check out the info on Reinstein if you want to go out there on one of their tours. They have free tours every Sat morning at 10am. Right now you'd hear the Bullfrogs and Greenfrogs calling if you went on a tour.

They have Beaver Dams, if you look close you can see the head of one of the Beavers as he's swimming around...

They have a lot of deer...

There are several ponds, marshes, and one lake. This is Lily Pond with two Canada Geese flying overhead (and their reflections in the water below). If you look close, to the right of the geese, there is a winding trail through the lilies, it's a Beaver trail. They actually chew a path through the lilies and keep it clear so they can swim through. You can't miss it when you see it in person, a bit harder to pick out from a picture, but if you do see it, it runs right off the left side of the picture, and clear over to the far bank. It's a very long trail.

I'm glad you like the Sand Boa. He is strikey only in the cage. As soon as you pick him up he's sweet as pie. I will totally trust him with the kids at kid's club next season. I think the striking is food response from being fed in his enclosure, I don't think he's agressive. Do you have a Kingsnake Photo Album with pics of all your pets? Or any online Album with pics of them?
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Slytherin)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Normal Corn Snake (Mystery) coming this summer
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Chestnut)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.7 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Nala, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

Hi there:

That sounds like a pretty cool place. Today I found two rural parks directly across the road from one another. I went to one park, but did not have enough time to go to the other. I caught a very large American toad, my dad spotted a Pickeral frog, and we caught two garter snakes. One was a baby and the other was a gravid adult. I am glad to hear that the sand boa may "tame down." My Kenyan sand boa throws himself through the air and bites, so I use a hook to handle him. I visited your sight, and think all of your pets are pretty cool. Especially ripley. I love water snakes, but many other people I know do not (for obvious reasons.

DAVE

Let me know if you ever decide to part with your Kenyan. I couldn't offer you much in way of money, but could promise him a good home if you decide you don't want to deal with not being able to handle him. I know what you mean about the throwing himself through the air, that's what my Russian does, it's impressive to watch. He literally launches himself up in the air, never seen a snake strike with so much of his body like that. Have you actually tried picking him up w/out a hook and gotten bit? I always thought Sand Boas were mellow so was surprised about the Russian striking. Good luck with your Kenyan, hope he settles down for you.
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Slytherin)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Normal Corn Snake (Mystery) coming this summer
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Chestnut)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.7 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Nala, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

I think that you will agree that going out at night to observe calling frogs is one of the most rewarding aspects of conservation and Herpetology. I want to thank you for taking the time to do FrogWatch!

-----
...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Wow, Great picture! I sure hope I can find a Gray Tree Frog, they are in the Preserve but we haven't heard any yet this year. I'm used to looking for frogs on the banks, will have to start looking at the trees more carefully! Looks like they blend in wonderfully and would be hard to spot. I just love listening to the frogs at night. Melts away any stress you might have. I was out at 8am this morning on a Bird Walk. It was raining so not so many birds. Did see a Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, Yellow Warbler, Cat Bird, and heard Red Bellied Woodpeckers and Pilieated Woodpeckers. There were baby Ducks and Geese, oh so cute! And the whole time we were seranaded by Bull Frogs and Green Frogs.
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Slytherin)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Normal Corn Snake (Mystery) coming this summer
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Chestnut)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.7 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Nala, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

Very cool your are a part of Frog watch !

Great comentary and pics ! And a GREAT cake in honor of the frogs and WATCHERS !

Eve

I just signed up with Frog Watch a few days ago. I haven't had a chance to go out yet, but I plan to go either tomorrow or Wednesday night. It really does sound like an interesting thing to do. I hope I like it.

-----
alstiver@hotmail.com

1.0 2001 Coral snow cornsnake
0.1 2002 Pastel Ghost poss Het Amelanistic cornsnake
1.1 2002 Bloodred cornsnakes
0.1 1998 Het Hypo, Het Caramel cornsnake
1.0 2000 Hypo Het Caramel cornsnake