Breeding toads

So many Gulf Coast toads have been attracted to my pond. Sometimes there are about a dozen clamoring for a chance to mate. This happy couple went to live with a friend whose pond was toadless. 

The male takes on a bright yellow color and is about a third smaller than the female who needs a larger body because she produces a huge mass of eggs in gel enclosed strands.

Within a few months, tadpoles emerge.

Depending on the weather and the availability of food, tadpoles can take 6 months or longer to mature. When they finally metamorphose, the chubbiest cuties hop all over the yard.