BajaNomad

Raining Frogs in La Paz

capitolkat - 7-3-2014 at 11:26 AM

We have lived here in La Paz for pretty close to 4 years. This is a first for us. Tuesday it rained a little, just enough to settle the dust. That evening the wife and I were watching the final episode of Breaking Bad, when a loud scream was heard. Because the show had some really dramatic music we thought it might be background- but after a while it didn't fit. TV on mute and the screams continued out by the pool.

Turned on the outside lights and went to check it out. There sat two frogs in the shallow water of the pool entry. One blew up his throat and his companion found it irresistible and they began the dance of love. Not thinking I wanted that in the pool, I dip netted them out and put them on the other side of the property wall. We went back to the show, but 10 minutes later the sound repeated itself.

Now understand the pool terrace is up 4 steps from the front yard, and because the lot is sloped, to maintain a level house we had to put retaining walls in the front and back. The wall at it's lowest is 6 feet and at its highest is about 12'. The back stairs have 16 steps from the lower level of the garage to the pool terrace.

So considering the distance, the steps , the walls and the 10 minutes that had elapsed since I had removed the offending amphibians, the new duo must in fact be a second set of mate crazy frogs. So I reemployed the dip net, dropped the couple over the 6 foot section of the wall and went back to Walter White's demise.

Another 10 minutes or so and the racket starts up again. This time it's a solitary crooner, who soon joins his friends on the other side of wall and out of my pool. Twice more I take single minstrels from the pool and over the wall they go. so now a total of seven frogs have been removed from the pool. It's interesting that in our three years in this house we've never before seen a frog on the property, never in the pool, never singing his nighttime lullaby. And in about 30 minutes we've removed a succession of 7 frogs from a pool deck that is pretty inaccessible to animals unless they can climb stairs or walls.

Off to bed we go-No sooner than my head hits the pillow than the screeching begins again, so I get up , turn the alarm off, turn on the outside lights and dip net two more offenders off to the lockup.

Back to bed and the sounds of the Amazon again rise from the pool. Frogs win, and I'm sure that something came from the sky during the rainstorm.

Wednesday night the evening was another groundhog day, frogs begin to yell, I dip net them out, a second and third wave invade, and they too go over the wall, and bedtime approaches, alarm on and in bed, the song of the conga line of loving greenies rises from the pool.

This morning a search of the terrace reveals no remainders of the evening revelry, no frogs in the bushes in the yard, no frogs in the trees, no frog tracks in the dirt. When I was ejecting the fogs over the wall my wife got out the spotlight, and scanned the wall to see if an army of amphibians was crawling up, then the yard, and stairs, and our only premise is it rained frogs in La Paz on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it's overcast today so we can probably expect more to converge tonight. So far it's Frogs- 2 me- 0. But, Frogs have never been touted as high level intelligent beings so I'm hoping for a rematch.

Tbone - 7-3-2014 at 01:03 PM

Frogs do make some strange sounds, sounds you would not think could come from a frog. Big sound.

Cliffy - 7-3-2014 at 01:45 PM

I know a friend who is sly enough to maybe collect frogs and then "deposit" them so as to cause someone to think it is raining frogs! :-) :-)

Are you friends with all your neighbors?

BooJumMan - 7-3-2014 at 02:31 PM

What kind of frogs are they? Take a pic next time if you can : )

Cliffy - 7-3-2014 at 02:46 PM

I would guess toads not frogs.

capitolkat - 7-3-2014 at 04:43 PM

Could be toads but I don't think so. They love to swim and dive in the pool, their skins are smooth and moist, so My bet is on frog- but, I'll try to get a pic if they return tonight.

BAJA.DESERT.RAT - 7-3-2014 at 07:53 PM

FROG LEGS...YUM !

not toad legs though.

BIEN SALUD, DA RAT

BajaBlanca - 7-3-2014 at 08:08 PM

good story! hope the rain stops for ya!

Kgryfon - 7-3-2014 at 08:47 PM

Great storytelling! Made me laugh - thanks!;)

OK-tengo Photos

capitolkat - 7-4-2014 at 09:41 AM

I have photos of the culprits- but because I don't want to do the photobucket stuff for just these photos if someone will help post them I can send them to you. Looks like they are red spotted toads, but they are really good swimmers, and can sit on the bottom of the pool for over a minute while the dreaded dip net lurks above. Norm

David K - 7-4-2014 at 09:49 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by capitolkat
I have photos of the culprits- but because I don't want to do the photobucket stuff for just these photos if someone will help post them I can send them to you. Looks like they are red spotted toads, but they are really good swimmers, and can sit on the bottom of the pool for over a minute while the dreaded dip net lurks above. Norm


It is really easier than my instruction make it seem...! Please feel free to email them to me and I ll post them here. You can use info AT vivabaja.com for email.

capitolkat - 7-4-2014 at 10:14 AM

[img]DSC_0911[/img]
[img]DSC_0913[/img]

I've sized the photos to supposedly fit and hopefully they will, David the link to viviabaja doesn't load for me, thanks anyway.

[Edited on 7-4-2014 by capitolkat]

sorry don't want to load even in proper size- DK send me pm with email and I'll forward them to you

[Edited on 7-4-2014 by capitolkat]

David K - 7-4-2014 at 10:41 AM

OK... stand by, your email is here!

4 Photos from capitolkat

David K - 7-4-2014 at 10:46 AM







rhintransit - 7-4-2014 at 10:59 AM

cute!

Genecag - 7-4-2014 at 11:03 AM

Seen these guys at our place in La Paz and never figured out how they got into our back yard....

They seem to get active when there is moisture.

Toad

tehag - 7-4-2014 at 03:10 PM

Red-spotted toad, Anaxyrus punctatus.

BajaRat - 7-4-2014 at 03:21 PM

Don't touch that variety, you'll get Cooties :lol:

capitolkat - 7-5-2014 at 08:32 AM

Tehag- I agree as stated in my post above-Red spotted toad-Bufo punctatus-as shown at p 18 of McPeak's Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja.

They were back in force last night as at 2:30 AM I was awakened by a chorus of more that 10 toads by the pool. tonight there will be a new program of involuntary removal to a more remote spot than on the other side of my property wall.

David K - 7-5-2014 at 09:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by capitolkat
Tehag- I agree as stated in my post above-Red spotted toad-Bufo punctatus-as shown at p 18 of McPeak's Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja.

They were back in force last night as at 2:30 AM I was awakened by a chorus of more that 10 toads by the pool. tonight there will be a new program of involuntary removal to a more remote spot than on the other side of my property wall.


:lol::wow:

Isn't amazing how loud a little animal can get? Small children playing, as well!!!