On March 26, 2009, our class took a trip to Meeman Biological Field Station at about 10:00 a.m. It had rained pretty heavily the night before, so the spadefoots and the chorus frogs were calling like crazy! In a vernal pool near the entrance of our class destination site, there were literally hundreds of spadefoots calling and mating. Our T.A. entered the shallow pool with bare feet just so he didn't step on one of the many spadefoot toads, Scaphiopus holbrookii. Even when the female (on the bottom) jumped out of our hands while in amplexus, the male didn't release his hold on her. After we released them at the edge of the pool to return to their environment, these spadefoots still maintained their position... pretty impressive!
-Lindsey Stewart, TN
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