Frog Calls NEWSLETTER OF CROSSTIMBERS CONNECTION January, 2016 Volume 4, No. 1 Feature
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Events
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Field Notes: Our Stories from the Field
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One of Our Favorites: iNaturalist
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Species Profile: Spotted chorus frog
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JANUARY IN THE WOODS We will get the new year started with a walk at Southwest Nature Preserve in Arlington on January 17 (see page 2). This is a remnant of eastern cross timbers forest that includes a rocky ridge top, trails through oak woodlands, a small meadow with deep sand and yucca, and several small ponds. It consists of 58 acres, which is enough to “get lost” in just a little, although nearby houses are visible from the edges of the preserve. Crosstimbers Connection led a walk there last July that was lots of fun. We started fairly early in the morning to beat the worst of the heat, and among the participants were people who knew native plants and birds, so we had great conversations as we walked around the preserve. This time, on a mid-winter walk, we should see birds and if it is sunny and mild we could see basking turtles and some cricket frogs. Michael Smith will lead this hike and can talk about how reptiles and amphibians deal with winter’s cold and where they may hibernate (or “brumate”). We will also talk about the different habitats found there, including the ponds, the pockets of bluestem grassland, the woods with their oaks, junipers, greenbriars, and such, as well as the sandy meadow that supports a particular species of ant - the Comanche harvester ant - that likes deep sand. We would love to see you there, and if you want to join us, it is very important that you register with us so we can stay in touch about any possible weather-related changes in schedule. We have had above-average rainfall, the trails get muddy after rains, and the hill seeps water for a while after the rains are over. We don’t mind a little mud, but we do not want to churn up the area if it’s quite wet.
Frog Calls
January, 2016
Winter Events:
January k February k March
(All of our events are free, but the host location may charge an entrance fee – check their website to see if there is a fee.) Outdoor events are subject to change based on weather - if you have registered by email, we will make every effort to email you if there are any changes to this event. Additionally, you can check our Facebook page.
1/17/16, 1:00-3:00pm n Winter Woods & Ponds n Southwest Nature Preserve, Arlington TX The preserve is 58 acres of cross timbers (mixed woodland with post oak and blackjack oak) with three ponds. There is also a small, deep-sand meadow with yucca and populations of the Comanche harvester ant. Depending on the weather, we might see frogs or turtles, and we should see birds. You must register with us (see information above) in case of weather-related cancellation. This hike is limited to about 8 people. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. There is no entrance fee. See www.naturallyfun.org/ southwest-nature-preserve Please register for our events by emailing us at: contact@crosstimbersconnection.org
3/19/16, 12:00-3:00pm n Last Day of Winter Hike n Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge Say goodbye to winter with a walk at the refuge, somewhere along the miles of trails through cross timbers woodland, prairie, bottomland, or marsh. We will choose the specific location depending on the wishes of participants and the weather. You must register with us (see information above) so that we can coordinate specific plans. This hike is limited to 8 people, from elementary school age and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Entrance fee $5/adult, $2/child (free for members of Friends of Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge), see www.fwnaturecenter.org Please register for our events by emailing us at: contact@crosstimbersconnection.org
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, December 2004
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FIELD NOTES: OUR STORIES FROM THE FIELD By Michael Smith
We spend a few hours or a day in the field, and what do we do with the memory of what we experienced? What do we do with the information contained in our observations? What meanings do we attach to the things we experienced - was it rare and exciting, soothing, or did it make us think of something else that might be related? One of the things we can do with our experiences is to record them in field notes. “Field notes” are a kind of journal or diary of what we saw, heard, and experienced. For some people, field notes are taken in a “just the facts” objective style, putting down in words what a camera, recorder, thermometer, etc. would have recorded. The information would fit nicely on a spreadsheet, with dates, times, species names, and so on. For other people, field notes include sketches and notes that read like a story, or even like a sort of poetry. If you are taking notes for a science class or for scientific work, you might have to record field notes in the “just the facts” style. Otherwise, the stories, sketches, A sample of the author’s field notes and other things might do just fine. But why would anyone want to write field notes, anyway? There’s nothing wrong with taking a walk and seeing trees, birds, maybe a turtle basking in a pond, and then going home without writing down a single thing. However, I would like you to consider several reasons you might take field notes. Then we’ll talk about what kind of style might be best for you, assuming that you want to record some field notes. What you record can be a way to: 1.Remember what you saw and heard, and what that was like. In a few years, or maybe in a lot of years, you might vaguely remember that you visited a particular place or saw a particular species, and wish you could remember more of the details. Photos help with this, but so can the notes you write. “The air was cool, in the 60s, and the smell of wildflowers was everywhere. The sun was warm and I imagined what a lizard basking on a boulder might feel like. And at 10:30am, around the next bend of the trail…” That captures something a photo cannot, and it might bring the experience back long after the details fade from memory. 2.Think through the experience and wondering about things that you may follow up on. One winter I saw a Carolina wren flitting around in a tangle of downed branches in a bottomland forest. Not being a very experienced birder, I wondered if this was typical habitat for that bird, and whether it often stayed so low to the ground. Checking on this later, I discovered that wooded tangles are common places where Carolina wrens are seen, and they often move around in low areas near the ground. Field notes can help us notice details and then check them out to learn more about something. 3.Contribute to our knowledge of natural history. The world is large and complex, and there will never be enough scientists to discover everything about it. Volunteers have often contributed observations, data, and specimens to museums and universities. In recent years, smart phones and internet resources like iNaturalist Page 3
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One of Our Favorites! Here is something you may find useful, inspiring, beautiful, educational, or all of these …
iNaturalist - www.inaturalist.org Let’s say you have seen something out in nature - or in your back yard - and maybe have a photo or at least know when and where you saw it. You can share that observation with others, including scientists who may be studying what you saw, on iNaturalist. You go to the website, create a free account, enter your information and share a photo, if you have one. There is an app for smartphones that will work with the phone’s camera and make it very easy to share what you saw. If you are not sure what you saw, you can select “need ID help” and others may be able to help identify it, or confirm your identification. If your photo has “metadata” (date, time, and GPS coordinates) you can allow the program to use that. If you saw something unusual or rare and want to conceal the exact location from those who might go collect it or harm the habitat, you can choose for the public only to see a general location, not a specific spot. There are projects you can contribute observations to, such as our project (www.inaturalist.org/projects/ crosstimbers-connection). Some projects are for very specific places (like Mansfield’s Oliver Nature Park) while others are statewide. The statewide Herps of Texas project currently has 22,445 observations, contributed by 857 people, and is an important source of information for Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s citizen science efforts. If you have not done so yet, check it out! It is a great tool for learning, sharing, and contributing to science.
Field Notes: Our Stories from the Field, continued from page 3 (see above) have opened up enormous possibilities for everyday folks to be citizen scientists by adding scientifically meaningful observations. Even your observations of common species in ordinary places can be useful, because if lots of people regularly contribute, researchers can look for changes over time that might suggest the species is declining or increasing. Let’s say that at least one of these reasons has convinced you to write field notes. How do you get started? First you may want to pick the medium you will use, such as a notebook, a smart phone, or some other recording device like a digital audio recorder. Let’s start with the audio or sound recorder, which has at least two drawbacks. First is that if you fall in the creek or it gets rained on, all your notes could be lost. The second drawback is that finding a specific note can be difficult. It is much easier to scan a series of notes on paper than it is to listen to a series of audio recordings. On the other hand, using voice dictation is sure easy to do while you are “on the go,” without having to pull out a notebook and pen. Smart phones can be enormously useful, especially if you use a service like iNaturalist. You can snap a photo, let the program use the GPS coordinates, date, and time, and then after you add whatever notes about what you saw, you can upload it. One drawback, and it can be a big one, is that smart phones can run out of battery power, be dropped in the creek, rained on, stepped on, or fail in other ways. It may help to slip it in a plastic bag with a waterproof seal and stick it in your backpack, but it can still be risky to take an expensive piece of electronics like that out on a field trip. Page 4
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Field Notes: Our Stories from the Field, continued from page 4 The old-fashioned way to take field notes is with a paper notebook. A quick search of the Internet will reveal water -resistant notebooks, fancy notebooks, and a line of plain and functional 48-page notebooks called “Field Notes.” It is best to consider the size that works best for you and how much you may need to protect if from moisture. Some of us want more room on a page than is provided in a pocket-sized notebook, but it helps if the book is small enough to easily put in a section of a backpack or bag. I do not use a ring binder because it’s too bulky, but a wirebound or book-style notebook is fine. While some may prefer pencils, it is not hard to find good, fade-resistant and water-resistant pens. Here are some of the elements of traditional, natural science based field notes: 1. Species - such as “Great blue heron, Ardea herodias” and perhaps the age class and sex, such as “adult, unknown sex” 2. Date & time - such as 12/12/2015, 10:00am 3. Location - such as “Tarrant County, TX, Oliver Nature Park, GPS 32°587 / 97°102 4. Habitat - such as “pond in wooded area near Walnut Creek” 5. Weather - such as “67°F, cloudy and windy”
6. Behavior - such as “initially standing in water, then took flight” Make the notes work for the purpose you want, such as to preserve a memory, wonder about questions that may spur more learning, as well as contribute to citizen science. Feel free to add extra notes and impressions. Tell your story in as much detail as you want, or give “just the facts.” As long as you can read it and can understand your notes later on, don’t worry about making them perfectly neat. Sometimes a field notes entry is not about a particular species that you spotted. You might make notes about the condition of a creek during a drought and after rain. Last year I took notes on a couple of dates and in a couple of locations, measuring the temperature several inches under the soil as well as at the surface. I wanted to explore the
Stay Connected!
… Subscribe on Yahoo Groups or find us on Facebook.
Want to stay in touch, so you hear about events early and can share your ideas about the crosstimbers and prairies? We have a free subscription email list at Yahoo Groups, and we hope you’ll join. Although anyone can join, memberships need approval and so it’s unlikely you will see spam or off-topic emails. It’s a great way for your voice to be heard, about your favorite places or species, experiences you’ve had, and what you’d like to see from us. To join, email crosstimbers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and we will get you on the list! We would also love for you to visit our Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/CrosstimbersConnection . Please “like” our page and feel free to post your thoughts there! Page 5
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Field Notes: Our Stories from the Field, continued from page 5 principle that soil, rocks, and wood served as insulation from temperature extremes, and thus provide a winter refuge for reptiles and amphibians. A good source of ideas about the different ways one can take and use field notes is the blog titled, “The Happy Naturalist” (www.happynaturalist.com/). Particularly on her “FieldNotesFriday” page, naturalist Erin Taylor encourages us to take field notes in whatever way works for us, with benefits including getting outside more, enjoying the experience more richly, making more insightful observations, and sharing with others. She offers good perspectives for us to consider: be creative and make field notes work for us (not the other way around). I hope you find a way of keeping field notes that works for you, because your time in the field is valuable. Your notes have value both for you, to enhance your experience and memory, as well as for others, as data that can help all of us understand the natural world better.
SPECIES
Spotted chorus frog
PROFILE
Pseudacris clarkii
By Michael Smith
Texas winters can be cold, with biting winds and the occasional ice storm. But Texas winters are often like the tiny north Texas towns of Santo or Venus – you see them coming down the road, but if you blink twice you’ve missed them. And so, by February we often have sunny days where a naturalist’s thoughts turn to springtime. Those earliest sunny days remind us that life and color will return to the fields and woods. Typically in late winter and early spring, it rains often and water collects in low places. As the days get a little longer and the land gets wetter, the prairie night gets a new voice. Where there are a few inches of collected water, spotted chorus frogs gather in the darkness and call with a sound like running your thumb over the teeth of a comb. The sound is quite loud for a frog of such small size. As the frogs brace against prairie grasses in the shallow water, the throats of the males expand into an air-filled sac and call “wrret…wrret…wrret” to nearby females. Spotted chorus frogs are among the small and easily overlooked amphibians of our area, but they are beautiful animals with interesting lifestyles. Page 6
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Species Profile: Spotted chorus frog, continued from page 6 Classification This is one of a number of chorus frogs in the genus Pseudacris, including Strecker’s chorus frog and the upland chorus frog (both species are found in our area along with the spotted chorus frog). All are small frogs in the family Hylidae that includes treefrogs, cricket frogs, and others. Description The spotted chorus frog is a slender little amphibian about an inch long. Green spots are scattered in an irregular pattern along the back and head, and the green is edged in black. A green spot occurs on the top of the head between the eyes, sometimes in the shape of a triangle. The back legs are long, for quick jumps. The skin generally appears smooth but when seen very close up, the surface of the skin has a warty texture. Habitat This frog’s typical habitat is grasslands and prairies. One breeding site, where both spotted and Strecker’s chorus frogs were heard breeding, was along a Parker County roadside where rainwater had collected in a depression to a depth of about 8 inches. The surrounding area is rolling prairie crossed with small streams.
When you think about it, it’s amazing to find animals whose lives are so dependent on water living successfully in places that get so dry during part of the year. The north Texas prairies get winter and spring rains but tend to go through a drought in The Parker County breeding location late summer. Streams and ponds dry up, and the ground becomes dry and surface vegetation dies back. At those times, the frogs and toads must hide in deep, protected spaces. Fortunately, the winter and spring rains bring the frogs back to the prairie each year, and the nights sing once again with the calls of these little amphibians. Prey As an adult, the spotted chorus frog eats insects and other small invertebrates. Some references to other Pseudacris species mention them eating invertebrates that live both in and out of the water. Behavior As spring advances and temperatures rise, the breeding period ends for chorus frogs. They move about and feed at night, but the breeding calls of these frogs are less frequently heard. We don’t know a great deal about their life histories during the warm, dry months. What is clear is that chorus frogs are able to burrow down into crevices in limestone outcrops and spaces in the prairie soil to escape the heat and drought of summer. Page 7
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Species Profile: Spotted chorus frog, continued from page 7 Most frogs have moist skin and can lose water through evaporation rather quickly. Unlike the scaly protective skin of reptiles, liquids can pass fairly easily through frog skin. When their surroundings are dry, frogs can try to limit how much water they lose by crouching and minimizing how much skin is exposed to the air. If they cannot protect themselves from dehydration, the frogs die. Burrowing is a great way to protect from drying out, because it limits contact with dry air and by digging deep enough the frog may reach damp soil. When the rains come, do the frogs drink? Oddly enough, frogs and toads get most of their water by directly absorbing it through the skin. A frog sitting in water may be replenishing its water supply. Reproduction
As noted earlier, the breeding call of male spotted chorus frogs sounds like quickly running your thumb over the teeth of a comb. Depending on temperature, it may be a series of quick “wrret-wrret-wrret” sounds (when it is warmer) or it may be somewhat slower on colder nights. The purpose of the call is to advertise the male’s availability to nearby females and to establish territory during breeding. As with other frogs that use temporary pools for breeding, the spotted chorus frog would be considered an “explosive breeder,” meaning that when conditions are suitable, a great deal of breeding behavior begins abruptly. A male begins calling at night, and this triggers other nearby males to begin calling. Females are then attracted to suitable males. When females find calling males, the male gets onto the female’s back and hooks his front legs under her to hold on. This behavior, called amplexus, allows him to fertilize the female’s eggs as they are laid in the water. Small egg masses are attached to grass stems or other objects at or below the surface of the water. The eggs are clear with a small dark center in each one. Once eggs are laid, a race begins between the development of eggs and tadpoles and the evaporation of the pool. The eggs must grow for a while and produce tadpoles, while sunny or windy days speed the evaporation of the water. Tadpoles appear and begin to eat the algae and other plant matter in the shrinking puddles, and if they don’t metamorphose into froglets soon enough, they die on the drying mud of what was the breeding pool. Abundance In the right habitat at the right time of year, this frog may be fairly common. However, it is vulnerable because of habitat loss, and it is on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s “black list,” meaning that it cannot be collected for commercial purposes. (An earlier version of this article appeared in the Cross Timbers Herpetologist, February 2005)
We take people out into the woods and prairies, looking for reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife. We also give presentations to bring the woods and wildlife to the people with slides, stories, and animals. Additionally, we publish Frog Calls and the Post Oak & Prairie Journal to bring the natural places in north Texas to life in print and photos. We do all this without charging anything (but we gladly accept tax-deductible contributions Connecting people with nature in north Texas
to keep us going). We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please visit us on the web at www.crosstimbersconnection.org, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ CrosstimbersConnection.
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