MIDLAND, Texas —
When it rains, frogs and toads seem to just pop out of nowhere in West Texas despite the area usually having a semi-arid climate.
So, where do they come from?
As Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park, “Life finds a way,” and the frogs and toads in the Permian Basin have a way to beat the heat whenever it’s not raining.
“You know, a lot of frogs and toads, you know, need a lot of free straining water all the time. But the species that we have out here are specifically adapted toward arid conditions and so, they'll spend a large percentage of their time underground coated in a in a layer of mucus which they secrete and then they go into a brumation type period, which is very similar to a hibernation, just to wait out until it rains again,” said Michael Nickell, museum scientist and naturalist at the Sibley Nature Center in Midland.
If you’re ever wondering why you hear big groups of frogs and toads croaking in the evenings, Nickell said it’s cause rainy days make them go out and look for mates.
“This is the perfect opportunity for them to come to the surface and do the courtship," Nickell said. "Males will sing and they'll go through all their reproductive cycle.”
However, if anyone has pets that are outside, keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t mess with any toads because Nickell said toads usually have a natural defense. While they are not much of a risk to humans, it can be more of a risk to pets.
“Some species of toads, even some of our local toads, they have these glands called parotid glands on top of their heads, kind of a back part of their head and they do produce toxins," Nickell said. "And so like, if your dog decides to, you know, bother one, he might froth at the mouth or something like that; get a really bad taste or you know some type of sensation that's unpleasant."
If anyone can’t tell the difference between the two, frogs have smooth, wet looking skin and toads have bumpy, wart-like skin.
If you end up having to handle a frog or toad, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands as well.