HOUSTON – Listen to the sound on the video at the top of this article and you could think that someone in Fort Bend County had sheep in their yard.
However, it’s not a sheep. It’s a toad. Yes. Seriously. A toad. And likely, many of them.
After capturing video of the noisy night in Fort Bend County near Sienna, KPRC 2 turned to the Houston Zoo’s herpetology curator who told us among the chorus of amphibians is the sound of the Eastern narrow-mouthed toad.
According to this educational resource, the call of the narrowmouth toad is a long, nasal, high-pitched “waaaaaaaaaaaaah.”
Learn more about narrowmouth toads here. However, most importantly: “Narrowmouth toads are secretive and are usually found by overturning boards or logs in woodland habitats. They feed on a variety of invertebrates but particularly ants. This species breeds in the summer and adults congregate at temporary water bodies, including large puddles and roadside ditches, to breed on rainy summer nights. Males call with only their snout protruding from the water and are often hard to locate. Eggs float on the surface of the water and tadpoles take 20-70 days to metamorphose.”
Have you noticed these sheep-sounding toads in your corner of the Houston area? Let us know in the comments. If you ever have questions about animals or flora and fauna, snap a photo or send us video via Click2Pins.com and we’ll try to get you an answer.