Non-Poisonous Amphibians

EAST TEXAS TOAD


The East Texas Toad is fairly common, and average 2-3 inches in length.  It has a dark pectoral region breaking apart into dark spots to the belly, and cranial crests that go up behind the eye.  It has three or more warts in each large spot on the back surface.  It's color is generally a uniform yellowish-brown, brown, greenish-brown, or nearly black with many having an overlaying of reddish wash.

The East Texas Toad can be found along marshes and in deciduous woodlands as well as sandy areas near irrigation ditches and temporary rain pools.  It is dependent on rains, and their numbers peak in the spring and summer.



SOUTHERN DUSKY SALAMANDER


The Southern Dusky Salamander is mid-sized, reaching 3-5 inches.  It is a stout salamander with back legs slightly larger than the front.  A row of white spots, or "portholes" runs along each side, posterior to frong legs.  The tail is slightly flattened.  This species is variable in color but is generally dark brown to black, sometimes with a lighter patch running down the back.  The underside is often flecked with white dots.

The are found in murky areas in or near slow moving and stagnant streams, ponds and creek beds.  They are often found under cover such as branches, logs, or rocks.

The seldom stray far from water and feed mostly on aquatic invertebrates.  Breeding occurs in the fall.  Females lay from 9-20 eggs under rocks, logs, or leaf litter and females sometimes protect the eggs.  Eggs hatch in early fall and undergo metamorphosis the following spring.



STRECKERS CHORUS FROG


Strecker's Chorus Frog is a large, stout frog with its toes slightly webbed with disks at the tips.  Its colors vary from gray, brown, olive, to green ground cover.  It has a dark stripe through it's eye as well as a dark spot under it's eye, dark spots longitudinally along it's back, and deep yellow or orange coloration of the groin.  An adult can reach lengths between 1-1.5 inches.

Strecker's Chorus Frog is nocturnal, feeding on insects.  it can burrow into the soil with it's front limbs to shelter itself from heat and predation.

Breeding occurs during the fall and spring months.  Eggs are laid in water and attached to vegetation.  The frog is seen in moist woodland areas, rocky ravines, near streams in swamps and in cultivated fields.