Toad eggs

These are, I think, the eggs of a Woodhouse’s toad This critter seems to go by several names, and there are at least three kind with overlapping ranges, but at least one makes my part of Missouri its home.

We came across these eggs during our counterclockwise walk around the lake the last time we were there. They were floating near the shore on the south side of the lake. Coincidentally, or maybe not, we rarely see fish in the shallows on this side of the lake. I’m sure the water on the other side of the lake is warmer since it gets nearly constant sun, so the little fishies would, possibly, more likely congregate over there. And that means that this side of the lake might be more egg friendly.

The throngs of tadpoles we had seen before were mostly gone. We still saw a number of, but they weren’t all jostling for space as they had been. Perhaps this succession of egg laying and hatching reduces the competition for food for the new tadpoles. It seems just as likely to me, though, that these late-hatching tadpoles might just become convenient meals for the tadpoles that hatched out weeks before.

You can go here to click on a link (scroll down) and listen to the call of these toads. I can’t say that I can recall hearing this call when I’ve been at Roundrock, but the toads are mostly nocturnal, and I haven’t been there at night when the lake has been full, so maybe I’ll be hearing a new sound in the woods this year.

Missouri calendar:

• Green sunfish and bluegill begin nesting.
• Antlers begin to grow on white-tailed deer bucks.

Posted by: Roundrockjournal    Source