Frogs

[lockmat]

I'm not sure if the "city" has this problem, too, but in the 'burbs, every time it rains, like yesterday, the frogs camp out on the road. Driving home last night I saw at least a dozen flattened frogs and at least a dozen plus more just sitting on the road. What compells them to do this?

I think it's kinda funny. I try to not run them over as long as I do not kill myself or others. Sometimes they just sit there, other times they jump and commit suicide.

[west20th]

I'm not sure if the "city" has this problem, too, but in the 'burbs, every time it rains, like yesterday, the frogs camp out on the road. Driving home last night I saw at least a dozen flattened frogs and at least a dozen plus more just sitting on the road. What compells them to do this?

I think it's kinda funny. I try to not run them over as long as I do not kill myself or others. Sometimes they just sit there, other times they jump and commit suicide.

Well if you happen to see a beaver near the Yale street bridge swerve to avoid hitting him. He will reward you by sawing down a tree and blocking the road thus saving you from driving into the abyss of White Oak Bayou after the Walmart truck collapses the bridge.

[silverartfox]

I'm glad to hear our native toad population hasn't disappeared due to the drought. The rain encourages them to mate, after which the eggs are deposited in standing water. If the water stays around long enough, tadpoles hatch and eventually develop into tiny toads less than an inch long. A few lucky ones survive into adulthood.

[trymahjong]

lots of frogs and toads in avondale and east montrose civic areas---- there are a few backyard ponds that help them out--You don't see many flattened on roadway either--maybe it's the odd watering

a few residents seem to skirt the city mandate water conservation by watering early early mornings.

[lockmat]

I have also noticed that after it rains the bugs are much noisier at night...why is that? Very interesting.

[crunchtastic]

My long-standing childhood creep-out is over freshly squashed toads on the road. When I was a kid in Friendswood. I rode my bike to school, and in the summer, to the softball fields directly behind the school. Half my ride was along the blacktop at the back of the development alongside open field. It was also a very busy road for people to get to the 4 lane highway. In spring and summer the toads would try and cross the road only to be squashed and there would be dozens of them, sometimes, all frog-gutty on the blacktop. There was this one German shepherd at a house on the way who would bark at me and chase me on bike, and I would get all freaked out and try to kick at him, and then I would crash and land in fresh frog kill. It was so gross. This happened about twice a month for a whole summer. I had such a complex about toads people still screwed with me in college! They'd wait till I was in the shower and get a toad from under the house and put him on the bathroom floor. Ugh. And then there were the toad fries on the road, which is what we called the ones who were so dried and flattened you could peel them up and throw them at people. Ugh! I have a major toad thing.

[silverartfox]

It's great when toads take up residence in my yard and help keep the insect population down. Sadly, my terrier thinks they're animated toys for her to play with until she wears them out or kills them.

[RedScare]

a few residents seem to skirt the city mandate water conservation by watering early early mornings.

Perhaps because it is not a mandate at all, but a voluntary program. Further, the Stage 1 voluntary watering program recommends watering between 8 pm and midnight, and midnight and 10 am...a time frame that includes "early early mornings." Stage 2 is the mandatory program.

[samagon]

I have also noticed that after it rains the bugs are much noisier at night...why is that? Very interesting.

Bugs like to have sex after rain, much like people after they get drunk. Same as with drunk humans, they get louder when they want to have sex.