21/03/11 - Townsend Tiger Snakes and a bucket of toads

This fabulous report (and disturbing photo!) from Jo of the Townsend Tigersnakes...

Since the wet weather has been hampering our toading activities we decided on a new game plan - RAINCOATS !! We are now armed for all toading situations.

Wednesday night Mel and I headed out to Yamba to see what was out and about. The sewer works road was fruitful with many morphs popping up out of the grass into the light. The best toad of the night was on Middle Rd Palmers with a 330gm female bagged late in the night. In all we collected 49 toads that night.

Saturday night saw plenty of rain cancel the training session so we donned our raincoats and went out anyway. Mel, Julie and I did a lap of the Red Cliff area and came up with a whopping 315 toads which is a new record for us in one night.

Cane toads collected from Yuraygir National Park by CIA Vol Jo, Mel and Julie.

There were dozens of males in the water staking their patch to call in the ladies. We just put a dampener on their plans as they now have a one way ticket to Freezer Island. It was also lovely to see so much native frog spawn in many of the water holes and no toad spawn : ) also a beautiful juvenile carpet python popped out of the bushes.

Cheers, Jo

P.S. We have caught 997 toads in 5 weeks guys – YAY!!

Thanks Jo. You guys are amazing!! And yes, I will be packing my waders for this Friday at Mororo. :)