Amphibians at the Wash
Biologists have conducted amphibian surveys along the Wash from April 2004 to October 2005 and again from March through October 2021. Headlamps and high-intensity floodlights were used during visual encounter surveys, which were conducted at night when adult anurans (frogs and toads) are more easily detected.
For multiple nights each month, visual and aural searches were made within appropriate habitats close to shorelines and terrestrial areas near water. Aural searches for calling individuals were used to identify breeding sites.
These surveys revealed the presence of two anurans using the Wash — the American bullfrog and the Woodhouse’s toad. Staff biologists also have visually detected the Baja California tree frog while conducting other work.