Frogs
Frogs are familiar amphibians to most people. Frogs are tailless, and have more well developed hind legs than front legs. They move in a hopping or jumping pattern, and they have extremely long pelvic bones, with the legs anchored to the extreme hind end of the pelvis (this allows them to exert great force in jumping). Length of the legs varies from very shot in toads to extremely long in frogs such as the bullfrog. The difference between frogs and toads is really one of semantics - a toad is basically a kind of frog with short legs and (usually) warty skin.
Typically, frogs have terrestrial adults and aquatic larva (tadpoles). Their eggs are laid in the water, typically after spring or summer rains. These eggs hatch into tadpoles, which spend anywhere from just over a week up to several years in the tadpole stage before they transform into terrestrial froglets. The transformation process is known as metamorphosis - the tadpole gradually grows legs while the tail is reabsorbed. Eggs of most species are laid in temporary pools or small ponds, while those of a few species may be laid in shallow waters along our rivers. Two species in the Nueces Canyon differ significantly from this pattern in that they lay terrestrial eggs which undergo direct development - the tadpole stage is retained entirely inside the egg, which hatches into a tiny froglet.
Like other amphibians, most frogs must keep their skins moist to one degree or another. Consequently, most species are active mostly at night when humidity is higher. During the day, most species either spend time in the water or remain in hiding in vegetation, under rocks or logs, or in rock crevices.
There are 12 species of frog found in the Nueces Canyon area - we consider one of these to be questionable (?), and have personally verified (*) the occurrence of 7 of these species for the canyon.
Couch's Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus couchi
*Barking Frog, Hylactophryne augusti
*Cliff Chirping Frog, Syrrophus marnocki
*Blanchard's Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans
Spotted Chorus Frog, Pseudacris clarki (?)
*Red-spotted Toad, Bufo punctatus
*Gulf Coast Toad, Bufo nebulifer
*Rio Grande Leopard Frog, Rana berlandieri
*Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad, Gastrophyrne olivacea