Early every Spring, the Western Chorus Frogs migrates back to their birth place. If you can only hop 6 inches at a time, that’s a 600-foot, 1200-hop, grinding journey.
Khaki Frog was the first frog this season to appear in the two ponds and connecting creek in the Frog Mitigation Area. He quickly commanded the high ground at pond’s edge. He croaked (ribbeted) the loudest. If another frog approached closer than one foot, he would vigorously hop over, and either mate with them or fight them.
Every evening, I found more fertilized egg sacs near his waters.
Now, the froglets in Upper Pear Pond are abruptly appearing, just eight weeks later. Froglets are tadpoles who’ve begun to sport legs.
I am surprised to find this froglet’s markings closely match Khaki Frog. Last year the froglets were almost all dark green, almost black.
I haven’t seen the khaki pattern on frogs in the Mitigation Area before. Most frogs range from light green to brown/tan.
I still can see the more usual Kelly greens and tan browns on the many budding froglets in the Upper Pond.
The Upper Pond froglets are morphing sooner, and much more swiftly, than the current tadpoles in the Lower Pond and the connecting Little Metolious Creek, and more quickly than the tadpoles during 2016.
Over half of the Upper Pond tadpoles are now froglets. I could not find any froglets in the Lower Pond, and only about 10% of the 100s of tadpoles in Little Metolius Creek are visibly morphing.
The froglets gather at the east end of the Upper Pond, clustered around the warm slab of slate rock.
At the same location 6 hours later.
Other froglets stuck to the tried-and true-lily pads.
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