I was walking in the Silvoor Biological Sanctuary behind Peffer Park this on Saturday and I stopped by the concrete waterfall. Last year I saw some sort of garter snake basking there and was hoping I would get lucky and see another one. Instead I found some sort of amphibian eggs. They were in long strings with black eggs and were wrapped around a stick or stuck to the mud on the bottom of the creek. I did a little research and think that they are American toad eggs (Bufo americanus), but I didn't have a camera, so not positive.
American toad are found throughout North America. It is one of the most common frogs in Ohio and can be found everywhere. They can and will live almost everywhere. American toads will live in agricultural and woodland areas. They will even hang out in backyards and near homes. Males begin calling in March and continue till May. The male stakes out a territory and attract females by calling. The females lay rows of eggs. These eggs hatch relatively quickly; from 2 to 12 days. The tadpoles go through metamorphosis in about seven weeks. The toads reach sexual maturity at 2 years. These toads eat insects and catch them using their tongue and are important in controlling insect populations.
(Posted by Madeleine Burnett)
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