As a rule, frogs are prone to stay in freshwater. They prefer to use freshwater ponds and pools when laying their eggs. As far as I know, there are no frogs locally that prefer saltwater as a home for their tadpoles. Supposedly, there is one frog in China that can tolerate either salt or fresh but not here. Until now....
What is up with the numerous frogs that have taken up residence in the marshes of the Bayou? I understand that occasionally a frog may be found there but now hundreds of frogs of all sorts are literally calling the saltmarshes home. Granted, most of the waters are brackish and not overly salty but still it is unusual. Over the past few years, I have found leopard frogs, bullfrogs, pickerel frogs and green treefrogs living in the marsh. This is where they are laying eggs and staying to maturity. They make no effort to migrate up the hillside to the two small ponds or the creek on the property. This morning, a small treefrog caught my attention as it was perched on a boat pole. As I watched it, I realized that there were many more on the marsh mats and pier posts. There were frogs everywhere!
The move to the marsh seems strange to me as salt usually dehydrates a frog's skin rather quickly. Are the frogs adapting to the brackish water out of necessity? Makes you wonder if the freshwater is not so "fresh" after all. Perhaps all of the chemicals folks are dumping on their lawns is contaminating the creeks and ponds. The brackish waters of the bayou are somewhat circulated out with the tidal movements so maybe it is a bit cleaner than we think. Something is up with those frogs and it does make you think things are just not right. Just a ponderance there...
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