Who Let the Frogs Out?
Phoenix homeowners love frogs! We are often asked if you can have frogs in your Phoenix backyard pond. Yes! Build it and they will come…
If you have a living water feature, you may start hearing, and even seeing, an increase in frog and/or toad activity as the weather changes toward either Spring or Fall. You may even see egg sacks and tadpoles a little later on, as well.
We are lucky enough to have endangered Lowland Leopard Frogs on our residential property, which migrated there during a particularly heavy monsoon season from the Agua Fria River bottom back in 2001. Because they’re endangered, it is illegal to transport them without a special permit from the State. This species has declined in abundance and distribution across its range in the United States, so Arizona Game & Fish keeps a tight rein on it. They make a lovely purring-type sound, and are actually fairly shy about showing themselves.
What most Phoenix homeowners have in and around their yards are Sonoran Desert Toads, which are the largest western species of toad, and considered to be one of the more aquatic of the southwestern toads. They dig into the dirt and hibernate during the dry times to avoid desiccation, and then come hopping out during wet and humid seasons. Desert toads make a distinctive sound, like a child’s short screech, and some people find this rather annoying. If you’re one of them, don’t sweat it, the toad season doesn’t last long, and they’ll be dug back into their hidey holes as soon as it dries out again.
One amphibian you DO NOT want around is the Bull Frog. They eat native wildlife species like birds, small mammals, dragonflies, butterflies, lizards, frogs, turtles, and fish – pretty much anything smaller than them that they can catch. We’ve even seen a photo of one with a bat wing sticking out of its mouth. They are prolific reproducers and considered highly invasive, and can travel 8 miles in one season to seek a new habitat. Their sound is VERY loud and annoying (like an oboe), and even your neighbors will know you have one around. If so, get rid of it – permanently. And if you’re the adventurous type, this is the species used for culinary frogs legs.
For more information on various amphibians in Arizona, visit www.azgfd.gov.
Serving Phoenix, Scottsdale, Glendale, Arizona (AZ) & Surrounding Areas
For more information on Pond Construction: https://pondgnome.com/pond-construction-phoenix-az/