Toad orgy

Pardon me while I snap a photo.

There is a toad orgy in my backyard after dark during spring.

Sometimes the croaking begins after dusk, but it usually cranks up around midnight. The love-making racket continues most of the night.

The breeders are Gulf Coast toads (Bufo nebulifer) that leave behind strings of eggs. The toads I have seen have bodies about 3 inches long.

I rarely see a toad during the day so it is amazing to find up to 10 couples humping in the water around 2 a.m.

Good luck, baby toad.

The cacophony annoys my sleeping partner. I pretend not to notice because the noisemakers are congregating in the pond I wanted so badly, but they are damn loud.

The pond is turning into tadpole soup. I am happy. -- Lana b

                                          Some find this sound annoying at 2 a.m.