What
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
I sat with this lone caller for 45 minutes, hoping to visibly spot him, but I had to settle for an audio recording instead. Very close and clear, though. He is within 5 feet of me in this recording.
What
Cliff Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus marnockii)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
I went out west of the Balcones Escarpment to ensure I was hearing marnockii and not cystignathoides.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Even though there was a chorus of dozens of these calling, locating one individual to photograph was very hard due to how tiny they were... smaller than ones I had encountered before. This one was conveniently located on a rock but his coloration was so cryptic against the rock, I only saw him because of the shadow he threw from my flashlight. I had to hold the flashlight at angles to get these pictures.
What
Western Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Seen climbing a tree. Note the bread-loaf shaped body. The shape, combined with the range/location and markings, indicate Texas Rat Snake.
Photos / Sounds
What
Texas Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora lineata)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Hiding under a black cloth tarp.
Photos / Sounds
What
Texas Blind Snake (Rena dulcis)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Found under a rock on the path outside the main gate.
What
Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Two for one special, as I found these two in amplexus amidst a whole gully full of calling nebulifers.
What
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Seen on a tree in my back yard.
Photos / Sounds
What
Texas Cooter (Pseudemys texana)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Observed at University of Texas's Turtle Pond.
What
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta ssp. elegans)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
At University of Texas's Turtle Pond.
Photos / Sounds
What
Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Agkistrodon piscivorus caught and processed at Barton Creek Habitat Preserve. Specimen was measured in a squeeze box, weighed, blood sample taken, PIT tagged, and released.
Photo credits Ellen Airhart and Ian Wright.
What
Western Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Found buried in dirt under a moist log.
Photo courtesy Ian Wright
Photos / Sounds
What
Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
DOR less than one hour estimated.
Photos / Sounds
What
Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Spotted in the water cruising for dinner.
Photos / Sounds
What
Couch's Spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Seen night driving on the road.
Photos / Sounds
What
American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Found in the parking lot of the hotel as we were leaving in the early morning! The weather was chilly (for Texas) and this specimen was cold.
Observe the posture in the photos. When I approached the frog, he looked like he wanted to hop away, but instead only stood up in the manner shown here. I haven't seen anything like this and I wondered if it might be a defensive posture to make himself look bigger without having to expend the precious energy (or overcome torpor) to hop away.
I relocated him to the safety of the grass before departing.
Photos / Sounds
What
Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Observed on the road while night driving.
What
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Because there is a confluence of three different ssp of Acris crepitans listed in Peterson right at this location in Texas, and because I was able to get audio only and no specimen, I am unsure if it is possible to determine which ssp this is. Help is appreciated.
Note time and location. It was also a cooler night, with a strong thunderstorm having passed through earlier that day.
The Hyla cinerea are reported separately.
What
Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Chorus of calling Green Treefrogs on a half-moon night in a gully by the road.
Photos / Sounds
What
Mississippi Green Watersnake (Nerodia cyclopion)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
This snake was also found DOR not far from the Intercostal Waterway bridge between Winnie and High Island. Bodies of water can be observed on both sides of the road, so it's probably not uncommon for snakes to cross here and get hit.
The longer tail and thinner body indicate this as Nerodia, and the patterning on the ventral side indicate N. cyclopion.
Photos / Sounds
What
Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
In spite of this DOR missing its head, the dorsal and ventral patterning and coloration, as well as the generally thick body and short tail, indicate this as a Cottonmouth. This specimen was hit just a short distance from the Intracoastal Waterway bridge between Winnie and High Island.
Photos / Sounds
What
Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
Seen crawling on the signage on the seating area near the bird observation drip. My friend Casey (no relation) posed with this specimen to use it as a Facebook profile picture.
What
Western Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
"Olive brown dorsal with a gold stripe" from Peterson, plus the range here indicates Gulf Coast ssp.
This snake was photographed within a few feet of my last Gastrophryne audio recording. I have little doubt that he too was listening intently to their calls and trying to find them.
Photo courtesy Miriam Reyes.
What
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis)Observer
caseymcmurtryDescription
This is another case of not being sure which Gastrophryne due to overlap of range in this area. In this audio recording, it is possible that we are hearing both olivacea and carolinensis, in fact. This was recorded within a foot or two of where the frog was hiding, but due to barricade ropes I was not able to actually see or handle the specimen(s)
Help in identifying the species calling here would be appreciated.