The Amphibian Foundation's Frog Blog

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From Carrie Gardner, On Quora  ---- Black Racer, Coluber constrictor   Really, there isn't any. Products like “Snake B Gone" are junk. Anything that says that the scent drives them away is also a rip-off. They don't care about any of that. Mothballs have been banned for outdoor use by the EPA and is toxic for people. Please don't use any poisons because it sinks into groundwater and into bodies of water and poisons every animal and plant they come into contact with. If your land is full of snakes, that means the area is full of rodents, which is what most snakes eat. And I would like to add that most prey species far outnumber the predators. So you probably have a much greater problem than just a lot of snakes and right now, they are your friends. Snakes only go where there is food so your best bet to lower the number of snakes in your yard is to get rid of the source of food. If there a lot of snakes in your yard then chances are there is a good size rodent population

A neonatal Copperhead, as is depicted by the 'yellow' tail. This will disappear as the animals gets older. I stumbled upon this article this morning, while doing research for my Biology of the Reptiles course at Agnes Scott College. I was, of course, put off by the title ' Good Snakes vs Bad Snakes ' but could quickly guess what this author was referring to by 'Bad Snakes' - She was undoubtedly speaking of Atlanta's most despised vertebrate — the Copperhead. At the Amphibian Foundation, we have initiated a Copperhead Rescue and Advocacy Program for two reasons: 1) We feel an obligation, which started with amphibians, to speak out for the underdog, persecuted, and the misunderstood wildlife in our neighborhoods (Box Turtles and Snapping Turtles also fall into one or more of these categories) — and 2) We were 'forced' into this position by the immediate inundation of Copperhead calls and messages we started receiving once we opened our doors in Buck

Larval Spotted Salamanders are killed by a common mosquito repellent, an ironic twist given that these amphibians prey upon mosquitoes as a major component of their diet. Read the article here , and the published research from the Royal Society here .

If you pay attention, you may find that the same toad visits your porch light each night. A neat article on making your yard more amphibian (and other wildlife) friendly: https://medium.com/natural-world/make-your-yard-friendlier-for-the-little-critters-b2ee0ec5b047

By   Jessie Kissinger Read the Popular Mechanics article here.

Autumn beauty can sure leave a mess behind! Change your mindset about the value of those fallen leaves Read the Article Here.

Do not use snake repellents. They are ineffective and a waste of money. Photo courtesy of Daniel Carrol,   Rattlesnake Solutions . Some great advice for dealing with snakes (wanted and unwanted) on your property

Another article describing the construction of a pond for neighborhood wildlife: https://www.travel4wildlife.com/how-build-pond-for-wildlife/

From our neighbors and partners at Atlanta Audubon — some wonderful recommendations (that of course positively impact amphibian communities as well) Click here to download or read more

David McIntyre, a friend and colleague of the Amphibian Foundation, was kind enough to describe his methods for building a successful wetland in his yard. By 'successful' we mean one that attracts and support native wildlife. Take it away, David!  'Dig It — and They Will Come' If you are interested in attracting amphibians to your yard, the following method has worked for me: 1. Find an area with a high water table. 2. Dig. I have to admit, when I set out to dig a pond on my property, I was thinking primarily of ducks, not amphibians. Back in the spring of 2005, I was planning to add a couple of ducks to my small poultry flock, and I thought they’d appreciate a bit of water to splash around in. I live on a long, narrow 1 1/2 acre parcel in western Massachusetts, and there’s an area across the middle that is thoroughly wet (saturated with water, particularly after it rains) for several weeks every spring. Any hole dug in this area in t

I often tell people that making your yard more inhabitable for wildlife, including amphibians, involves LESS work on your property. Here are some great suggestions, clearly not a US article, but these suggestions are still relevant.

We are excited by all the requests we get for suggestions on how to make your yard more ' Amphibian Friendly ' — There are many great suggestions and we catalog all that we have found here: backyard.frogsneedourhelp.org Pond Building Guide (Tree Walkers International) Establishing Frog Habitats on Your Property (Frog and Tadpole Study Group)

Erin Zaballa, Environmental Educator at Pettit Environmental Preserve and Vice President of the GA Reptile Society shared this info and pictures for how she made her pool 'amphibian safe'. As you probably know, it is not just the chemicals present in most swimming pools that are lethal to frogs and salamanders that might inadvertently (or advertantly!) fall/jump in a pool — it is also very difficult for them to find a way out. (if they aren't poisoned, they drown) Luckily, there are some devices to aide our native amphibians in exiting the pools. 'The blue ramps are called Frog Logs, it is recommended to have at least one on each end of the pool. The other item is the Critter Skimmer skimmer cover. It allows animals sucked into the skimmer to escape via a ramp and tiny door. One really great thing is that if the ramp is not long enough, they will send you an extension for free (just pay shipping). The Frog Logs and Critter Skimmer work exactly as adver

'InTownHawk' a website and blog by Amphibian Foundation member Bill Everitt contains a lot of great information and beautiful photography about Atlanta's Urban Wildlife and how to support it. Click here to visit In Town Hawk

Click the link here to download or view this article (PDF)

The website contains images of all 28 species of urban frogs and salamanders in each life stage (adult, larva, juvenile, egg). It also contains frog calls and videos to help you identify what species are in your communities. It also has instructions for how you can become a 'citizen scientist', monitor amphibians in your neighborhood and submit data to the program. For more information or to visit the site, click here maamp.us

Critter Skimmer