Life's a Ditch

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

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Noah M
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Joined: November 3rd, 2012, 7:00 pm
Location: Gainesville, FL
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Life's a Ditch

Post by Noah M »

So I was practically laying down in a roadside ditch on a Saturday night - but I should back up.

Southern Spring Peepers are everywhere down here right now, but these things should be called Ninja Peepers. They must have kind of invisibility cloak or something. I swear I have been inches away from them and I still can't see them. Sure can hear them, but goodness I can't seem to see one.

So I asked a friend for some help on technique in actually seeing one. It paid off. But that wasn't my intention tonight. The rain had moved through and I just wanted to check up on a favorite road of mine.

I first saw the usual stuff.

Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris) (not the best pic, I was only taking it for the DB)
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The Big Green (Hyla cinerea)
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Then, I decided to try a different road, one I don't usually travel down. I rolled down the windows and there it was, PEEP!!!! PEEP!!!! PEEP!!!!

Oh I had to stop and check it out.

No luck, and in about 10 minutes of poking around, two cars pulled over to see if I was okay. More traffic than I had hoped.
So I got back in the car and went back to my preferred road and made a mental note of my new peeper road. I cruised down the road, those peepers still calling in my head. I heard others calling from the woods, but that side road, that road had them right next to it. I had to go back, right then and there. So I did a U-turn and away I went.

I poked around, flashlight in hand.

What's that? Oh well of course that isn't a peeper.
Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
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I got down closer to the road side ditch. Down on one knee, peering into the clear water. My goodness those little things are loud.
I spied a tiny frog, snapped a photo and then grabbed it! Could it be?

No :(
Florida Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus dorsalis)
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Seriously, these things are ninjas.
I got down even more, on both knees, the water creeping into my muddy sneaker, the water from the wet grass now seeping into my pant leg by the knee. So I was practically laying down in a roadside ditch on a Saturday night a there it was, illuminated like a light from heaven above shining down, (or actualy my giant flashlight)....
Can you see it? (scroll down to see arrow)
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Forget about a photo of that thing calling - just grab it and take some nice clean shots on the road (now with much less traffic)

Southern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer bartramiana) (lifer?) I've seen/heard the northern species numerous times. Those seem larger and easier to locate. Nonetheless I was excited!
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A little audio to help add ambiance to the story. And seriously, those Leopard Frogs sound wicked cool.


The Ninja Peeper in its habitat!
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mtratcliffe
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Location: Mt Laurel, NJ

Re: Life's a Ditch

Post by mtratcliffe »

I may have to try that technique when looking for eastern narrowmouthed toads - like you with peepers, I've literally stood over them without seeing them. Very frustrating.

Also, your first pic looks strangely like a spadefoot, but maybe that's just me. Could just be a lighter coloration on that specimen than I'm used to.
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Noah M
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Location: Gainesville, FL
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Re: Life's a Ditch

Post by Noah M »

The first pic is southern toad all the way. Spadefeet have red warts, different eyes, and I bet smaller mouths. They also seem more gray to me, whereas southerns are usually brownish to reddish like the one pictured.

Yeah, I haven't had much luck finding narrowmouths for as common as they are. Even the one I found crossing the road last year was found by chance. I had stopped for a snake and saw the toad on the road.
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