A Grand Day with Leslie, Amphibian Specialist @ the Garden

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Leslie Phillips, Amphibian Keeper at the Garden, with a newly hatched Eleutherodactylus coqui
 We had particularly great luck finding frogs yesterday while giving a tour of the Fuqua Conservatory to the Development Team at the Garden. The timing was perfect as a clutch of Coqui eggs was hatching right before our eyes! Coqui, and frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus are direct developers, meaning the eggs develop directly into froglets and the tadpole stage is skipped. This allows the frogs to lay their eggs anywhere with a little moisture and there is no need for standing water.
We were able to find both varieties of Red-eyed Leaf Frog, Agalychnis callidryas. The Bijagual form, with maroon eyes and orange stripes on the flanks, and the La Selva form with red eyes, and purple/blue stripes.
Later that day, we went to the Atlanta History Center where we are consulting with them on constructing an ephemeral wetland on their property. We found Two-lined Salamanders (one adult, one larva) in the stream and this little critter in one of the ponds (see below)

Leslie with an angry Stinkpot, Sternotherus oderatus


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