FollowAbout Mister Toad
mister-toad.com is the personal website and blog of Mike Benard, a biologist who studies the ecology, evolution and conservation of amphibians and other organisms. Mike can be contacted at: mfbenard -at- gmail . com.Copyright Information
Unless otherwise noted, all text and images are © Mike Benard. If you would like to use any of the material in this blog, please send me an email.Mister-toad.com
Amphibian and Reptile Gifts
Twitter Feed
-
Recent Posts
Tag Cloud
adaptation Alligator American Toad bird Bullfrog California california newt chorus frog cicada citizen science Frog frog song garter snake giant water bug gray treefrog green frog Invertebrate Leech lizard mammal marine Mating methods Michigan Natural History Ohio pacific chorus frog phoresy potter wasp Predation Salamander Science sea otter singing slender salamander Snake spider spring peeper Tiger Salamander Toad Tuesday Trail Cam Turtle Variability video wood frogInteresting Reads
Tag Archives: Invertebrate
Turtles, predaceous beetles and bullfrogs eating spring peepers.
In early April 2020, I had an experience that will forever change my view of painted turtles. While watching spring peepers calling for mates, a painted turtle swam under a peeper, caught it, and swallowed it in less than 90 seconds! The turtle wasn’t the only predator hunting spring peepers that night. I also watched a predaceous diving beetle and a bullfrog hunting and eating spring peepers. Several videos here show how these predators caught and ate the spring peepers. Other videos show how spring peepers that escaped the predators. Continue reading
Posted in Natural History, Photography, Video
Tagged Bullfrog, Frog, Invertebrate, Predation, spring peeper, Turtle, video
Comments Off on Turtles, predaceous beetles and bullfrogs eating spring peepers.
Favorite Photos of 2018
Here are my 10 favorite photos that I took during 2018. Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Uncategorized
Tagged Alligator, American Toad, Bullfrog, Frog, Invertebrate, lizard, Mating, Salamander, spring peeper, wood frog
Comments Off on Favorite Photos of 2018
Pacific Sand Crab digging into sand
The Pacific Sand Crab (Emerita analoga) is one of the delightful creatures you can find in the surf of beaches along the Pacific Coast of North and South America. These small (up to 1.5 inches / 3.8 cm) crustaceans are … Continue reading
Posted in Natural History, Video
Tagged California, Invertebrate, Pacific SandCrab
Comments Off on Pacific Sand Crab digging into sand
An introduced planarian in Ohio
In late May 2018, I came across this planarian among the leaves on the forest floor in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Planarians are part of the group of animals known as Platyhelmintes. Although planarians look a bit like earthworms, they are … Continue reading
Posted in Citizen Science, Natural History, Uncategorized
Tagged Invertebrate, Ohio, planarian
Comments Off on An introduced planarian in Ohio
Fuzzy white Beech Blight Aphids doing their waggling dance
Beech Blight Aphids (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) will gather in large groups to feed on the sap of beech trees. They have a distinctive “dance” to deter predators. When disturbed, they wave their abdomens and waxy white filaments. These photos and videos … Continue reading
Posted in Natural History, Photography, Video
Tagged beech blight aphid, Invertebrate, Natural History, Ohio
Comments Off on Fuzzy white Beech Blight Aphids doing their waggling dance
