1. Frog Parking Only All Others will be Toad

2. www.arkansasfrogsandtoads.org This training brought to you by:

3. Garden Frogs Benefits of Garden Frogs How to attract them Health Care
Timing
Citizen Science and Frog Watch USA
But first . . .

4. Let’s Build a Frog Chorus!

5. Imagine a Bull having an argument with a Frog

6. Over a Jug of Rum!
Jug Of
Rum
Bull
Frog

7. American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) (formerly Rana catesbeiana)
© USGS

8. American Bullfrog Size: 3 – 8 inches.
The largest frog in North America.
Large specimens have been known to catch and swallow small birds and young snakes… and smaller frogs.
Habitat: Ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams with vegetation. (Must be large enough to avoid crowding). Usually found on the bank at water’s edge. When frightened, the bullfrog is likely to flee into nearby vegetation.
© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo
© Jim Harding, MSU

9. Let’s hear all you Bullfrogs

10. Why are they called Peeps?

11. Why are they called Peeps?

12. Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
© Jim Harding, MSU

13. Spring Peeper Size: ¾ -1 ½ inches
The spring peeper is one of the most familiar frogs in the East, although it is heard far more often than seen.
Habitat: Wooded areas in or near temporarily flooded ponds and swamps
© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo

14. Let’s hear all you Peepers

15. A Dwarf American listening to?

16. A Dwarf American listening to?
A beautiful flute “trill”

17. Dwarf American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus charlesmithi) Formerly Bufo americanus
© Jim Harding, MSU

18. Dwarf American Toad Size: 2- 4 inches
Toads lay eggs in a long string (e.g., note strands in the photo), while frogs lay them in clumps.
Habitat: Mowed grassy yards to forested mountains. Wherever there is abundant moisture and insects.
© Joe Greathouse, Oglebay’s Good Zoo

19. Let’s hear all you Dwarf American Toads

20. Imagine a long foul ball

21. Landing on a baby’s toe!

22. Foul (Fowler) – Toe (Toad)

23. Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus (Bufo) fowleri)
Size: 1 ½ - 2 ½”
3 or more tubercles in black spots on the back and sides. Typical white stripe on back.
Habitat: Wherever there is abundant moisture and insects.
Distinguished from other toad species by the presence of 3 or more warts per dark spot.
Coloration is highly variable in both, ranging from reds and browns to gray.
© Anita Hayden

24. Fowler’s Toad
Call: Short, nasal, and somewhat whiney cry. “W-a-a-a-h” lasting 1-4 seconds. Buzzy and shrill.
Mechanical whir quality. March - May Peaking in April to mid-May
nasal “w-a-a-a-h”, cry, lasts 1-4 seconds, buzzy and shrill
© Rachel Gauza

25. Let’s hear all you Fowler’s Toads

26. Let’s Build a Frog Chorus!

27. Chorus Members Basses – Bullfrogs (jug of rum rum rum)
Sopranos – Spring Peepers (peep, peep)
Altos – Dwarf American Toads (trill)
Tenors – Fowler’s Toads (waaaah)

28. Garden Frog (and Toad) Benefits
Good appetites for mosquitos, sow bugs, flies, ants, earwigs, grasshoppers, cutworms, pill bugs, and caterpillars
Eat up to 10,000 insects per summer

29. Garden Frog (and Toad) Benefits
“Toads and frogs are virtually the only beneficial creatures that eat cucumber beetles.” – Gardens Alive

30. Garden Frog (and Toad) Benefits
Interesting, benign, and well-behaved
Great for children to interact
Enjoyable songs

31. Garden Frog (and Toad) Benefits
Interesting, benign, and well-behaved
Great for children to interact
Enjoyable songs

32. Garden Frog (and Toad) Benefits
Environmental indicators
Water and land life cycle
Absorb moisture and oxygen through their porous skin

33. Attracting Frogs and Toads to your Garden

34. Attracting Frogs and Toads to your Garden
Water
Shelter

35. Frog and Toad Shelter
Hiding places – plants, shrubs, leaf litter, piles of rocks, toad houses (open on the bottom), ponds
Hibernating places – leaf litter, ponds, burrows

36. Frog and Toad Shelter Toad Abodes Open on the bottom In the shade
Broken terracotta pot
Could be a log laid on a dug out trench

37. Frog and Toad Water Frogs need ponds all year
Toads need ponds to mate; moist places the rest of the time
Both absorb moisture through their skin

38. Pond Requirements
They prefer clean, still water with places to hide and call
Deep enough not to freeze solid
Pollywogs will clean algae and detritus

39. Frog and Toad Health Pesticides, Herbicides, & Fungicides
Shade and cover
Fishless ponds

40. Frog and Toad Health Short grass near pond Garden mesh ≥1½ inch
Domestic pets

41. Frog and Toad Timing “If you build it, they will come.”
Don’t introduce frogs and toads
Give frogs/toads time to populate naturally

42. Arkansas Frogs and Toads
There are 23 species of frogs and toads in Arkansas.
You learned the calls of these four:
American Bullfrog
Spring Peeper
Dwarf American Toad
Fowler’s Toad

43. Arkansas FrogWatch USA
Learn the calls of all local species

44. Arkansas FrogWatch USA
Learn the calls of all local species
Monitor once a week (or less) from February to August at a pond of your choice.

45. Arkansas FrogWatch USA
Learn the calls of all local species
Monitor once a week (or less) from February to August at a pond of your choice.
Submit data via the internet to a national database

46. Arkansas FrogWatch USA
Learn the calls of all local species
Monitor once a week (or less) from February to August at a pond of your choice.
Submit data via the internet to a national database
Citizen science at its best!

47. Next Free Frog Watch Listening Workshops
Late Winter of 2015
Arkansas State University Mtn Home
North Arkansas College Harrison

48. www.arkansasfrogsandtoads.org This training brought to you by: