Each spring, ponds, wetlands and lakes across the state boom with the peeping, snoring and laughing calls of breeding frogs and toads. The 13 species documented at Red Slough Wildlife Management Area join the chorus, adding to the WMA’s noisy nightlife.
Ranging in size, color and sound, the toads and frogs of Red Slough Wildlife Management Area are a diverse group of amphibians. The smallest of Red Slough WMA's frogs, the camouflaged, half-inch long Blanchard's cricket frog, can be easily overlooked as it clings to vegetation near the water or blends in with the muddy wetland banks. Other frogs are more conspicuous. The largest of the frogs, the bullfrog, can reach 7 inches in length and has a deep, long call that can be heard from a long distance.
The extensive, relatively shallow, wetlands of Red Slough WMA make the area especially attractive for amphibians. Thick vegetation surrounding the wetland's edge provides toads and frogs with shelter or cover during the day, while the water serves as a nursery for their eggs and tadpoles. Many tadpoles forage for algae and decaying vegetation on the bottom of the wetland, but some are more aggressive and will eat aquatic organisms and even other tadpoles. Adult frogs primarily feed on insects and spiders, but will also eat crustaceans, earthworms, slugs and millipedes.
Each species of frog or toad has its own distinctive call. The more frequent "advertisement call" is used by the males to attract breeding females of their species. The "aggressive call" is used to let other males know they are encroaching on an already occupied territory. Advertisement calls vary by species, but can be grouped by biologists and nature enthusiasts to help narrow identification to a few species.
While a few of Red Slough WMA's 13 documented species are "specialists" that can only be found in certain habitats or areas of the state, many of the toads and frogs found on the management area also occur in Oklahoma's other ecoregions. As the spring breeding season ramps up, see which frogs you share with Red Slough WMA by narrowing the calls you're hearing to one of these categories: