How long of a hike can we Standish? Myles and Myles! 8-4-2012

OK, I'll admit it... Myles Standish usually kicks our ass and gives us very little in return. BUT- I wanted to get down there while it was still tiny toad season because tiny toads bring out the Hognose Snakes! AND, despite no actual photos, we saw one there last year! SO- despite the 95°+ temps in the weather forecast, that is where we went!

We got there at roughly 9:30AM and it was already scorching! The dewpoint was already 7,345,896% too! So, we went into the first pull-off and explored for a bit. Unlike the air, the land was fairly dry and a pond we've seen there before was almost gone. A few small Green Frogs were holding on and calling it home, though.


Nearby a fat Fowler's Toad was beating the heat under a rock...


So, after 40 minutes or so, we got back into the car (and AC) and headed to Electric Toadland, the next logical herping spot. This Fowler's was also keeping cool under a rock.

Remember when Beth Littlefield was on The Daily Show and she was always partially obscured by flowers? This shot makes me think of that!

Andrea found this guy out and about, but probably looking for a place to hide as well!


OK- these two were pretty small, so it was still definitely tiny toad season here... we headed to College Pond, where we'd seen the Hognose last year as well as some Redbellies!

Well, the food was there! Tiny Toads were everywhere!! There are 3 in this shot...


They were all Fowler's too...


There were some Bullfrogs enjoying the pond...



One flip produced a new species for us at this place (which I didn't see at first...) a Spotted Salamander!



Right nearby was this Fowler's posing nicely for us...


It was EFFING HOT, so we dunked ourselves before heading to our next Myles Standish spot. On the way out, we peeked at a pond and Andrea saw this Bullfrog basking...


So, we went to what we now call "bike path", which is just that, until a spot where we go off trail and pick up a bunch of little footpaths. By now, it was excruciatingly hot!

We did manage to find a nice Wood Frog here! Pretty good sized!


Andrea found some very photogenic Beginning of the End-type grasshoppers!

One climbed onto my stick!


Meanwhile, a tiny Fowler's climbed onto my foot!


I thought this toad was very beautiful so I picked him up to photograph... his belly was actually hot to the touch!


We circled around these trails for hours, exploring every nook and cranny. There were tons of tiny Fowler's Toads, but nary a snake looking to eat them! I tried to flip a rotten log and it split open, revealing this American Toad!

I put his home back together and he said thanks.

So, we had become absolute TOAST... dripping wet with sweat and brains baking in our brainpans! We'd been at it for roughly 5 1/2 hours and we had to bid farewell to Myles, snakes or no snakes! This cute lil Fowler's said goodbye...


And to think that we had gone to look for critters that would eat him!!!