Adopt-a-Frog Pond

---

If you have regular access to a wetland - ranging from a backyard ornamental pond to a river-bottom hunting lease, then you may want to participate by adopting your wetland for amphibian surveys. We will provide instructions and a data sheet. You have the option of conducting daytime monitoring for malformations or nighttime call surveys (or both!).

Selecting a site:

Your frog pond can be any spot where you've seen or heard frogs recently-from your backyard ornamental pond to your river bottom hunting lease to the wet spot at the back of the school yard. Many public parks might be amenable to having you adopt a wetland on their property-just be sure to obtain permission first if you'll be entering the property after hours or if you want to get into some wetland habitat that's normally off-limits. If you'll be working on private land that belongs to someone else, then you'll first have to obtain the written permission of the landowner.

Nocturnal Call Count Guidelines

What you need to get started:

• this information sheet, plus a data sheet and map of your frog pond location;
• a pencil and clipboard;
• a flashlight;
• a field guide that depicts the amphibians that occur in your area (see reference list for suggestions);
• a tape recorder and a blank tape for recording calls that you do not recognize;
• a resource for identifying frog and toad calls (see reference list); and,
• an outdoor thermometer. Other gauges would be useful if available, including an anemometer (for measuring wind speed), a hygrometer (for measuring relative humidity), and a barometer (for measuring barometric pressure).

How to conduct your counts:

Your basic goal is to visit your frog pond as many evenings as possible to listen for frogs and toads calling. Surveys may be conducted whenever anurans are calling, but peak periods in most of Texas extend from late-February through mid-summer. Moonless evenings following a rainy period are especially popular among our moist-skinned friends. At a minimum, you should try to visit your site at least once/month. You'll want to begin listening about 30 minutes after dark. First, record environmental conditions on the form. The data guide provides suggestions for obtaining this environmental data.

Now, listen for the frogs and toads. Listen for at least five minutes. Record each species you hear, as well as an indication of its abundance. Abundance is estimated by a call index (CI) based on three levels: CI = 1 –only a few individuals of the species are distinctly heard; CI = 2 –calls of several individuals overlap; CI = 3 –so many individuals of the species are calling that calls are overlapping and indistinguishable. (See the data guide for more information). If you cannot identify a call at the time, then you can record it, compare it to the call resources you have at home, or send it to TPWD and we can help you identify it. Space is also provided if you hear any nocturnal birds and want to record them on your data sheet.

Again, the more often you can visit the site, the more that you and we will learn about the amphibians in your area-simply keep recording data in sequential columns of your data sheet. If your site is in your backyard, then go ahead and make multiple copies of the form and record data every night! Feel free to write down any comments or additional observations you have. If you would like to adopt more than one site, then simply mark that site on your map and start another data sheet.

Send your data sheets and maps into TPWD by December 31. We'll compile all the data, send you a report, and assign a number to your adopted site. Then, we hope you'll continue to monitor the activities of the frogs and toads at your pond for many years to come.

Malformation Monitoring Instructions

What you need to get started:

• this information sheet, several copies of the data sheet, and a map of your frog pond location;
• a clipboard and pencils;
• a small to medium aquarium net;
• several buckets or small aquaria with lids;
• hand-held magnifying lens (optional);
• appropriate clothes - be sure to wear old sneakers or a pair of mud boots, because amphibian habitat can be muddy!
• a field guide that depicts the amphibians in your area (see the references for suggestions); and,
• optional - a camera to record any unusual amphibians or abnormalities you encounter.

What to do in the field:

Place 1/2 inch of water from your collection site in each bucket. (Be careful not to add too much water, or your frogs could drown!). You should also place 1-2 sticks or some floating plants in there so that the frogs and metamorphs have somewhere to rest. Make sure your bucket lids have air holes: frogs breathe air just like people do! Place your buckets in the shade to keep your captives cool.

Collect as many individuals from one site as possible. Several buckets are needed, because large frogs may eat small frogs. To help prevent this, place big frogs in one bucket and small frogs in another. You will need another bucket for Pickerel Frogs (if you live an area where they are found). Pickerel frogs carry a substance toxic to other frogs in their skin (These frogs are NOT toxic to humans and will cause you no harm). Try to find young frogs especially, since deformed frogs do not tend to live very long. Generally the smaller the frog, the younger it is (although the Bullfrog can be quite large when young, since it grows much larger than most frogs).

The best way to catch these critters on land is with the help of a few people, using your net to either trap them or herd them into an area that is not covered with thick brush and plants. You can either pick them up by hand or use your net. Turn the net so the seams are on the outside: The small toes of frogs could get tangled in the seam. Needless to say, small frogs are very fragile, so handle them gently and be careful not to catch them under the metal frame of your net.

Once you have finished collecting, you will examine each frog individually to look for deformities. Look over the data sheet to learn what kinds of things you are looking for. Remove each frog from the bucket one at a time and hold it gently but firmly behind the front legs. A thumb on one side and index finger on the other will give you the best control and greatest viewing. REMEMBER, WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE FROGS YOU FIND, NOT JUST THOSE WITH ABNORMALITIES.

How to send your data:

Now that you have completed your survey, please send your information to:

Texas Amphibian Watch
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
4200 Smith School Road
Austin, Texas 78744

Taking another survey:

• If you would like to survey at this site again, you'll need to wait until next year to avoid collecting the same individuals more than once.
• If you want to survey at a new location, you should make sure that it is at least a mile away...frogs can actually travel fairly long distances!
• Don't forget you can learn more about this site by conducting nocturnal call counts.

Some special notes:

Several amphibians in Texas are listed as threatened or endangered (See link below). It is unlawful to capture these amphibians without a permit, although you may observe and photograph them. Regardless of the status of the amphibians, try to leave the animal and its habitat just as you found it.

Please respect the rights of private property owners during the course of your volunteer efforts. Legislation in Texas protects the rights of private property owners with regard to biological data that is collected on their property. The private Lands Access Request form will grant TPWD the right to store, summarize, and report data that you submit from private property. That information will be subject to Open Records Act requests. Do not trespass or report any data without permission. Read over the Rules of Frogging for more guidance on courtesy, ethics, and safety when working with amphibians.

Five anurans in Texas are listed as threatened or endangered (see link below). It is unlawful to capture these amphibians without a permit, although you may observe and photograph them. Regardless of the status of the amphibians, try to leave them and their habitat just as you found them.

Read over the Rules of Frogging for more guidance on courtesy, ethics, and safety when working with amphibians.

Top of Page^