TOAD AMPLEXUS

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This is part of toads' (and other amphibians) mating ritual known as amplexus.  The male climbs onto the female, latches on, and basically waits for her to release her eggs.  In the close-up shots you can see how deeply embedded his front feet are in the female's side.  We saw these two like this for two nights, and the female seemed oblivious to her extra baggage.  She was still hopping around, eating, chasing insects, etc....  When she's ready, she'll go to water and release her eggs, at which point the male will fertilize them.  Multiple males can latch onto the female in amplexus, and all the males can fertilize the eggs.  We never found egg strands in any of our shallow pools.  This video includes a couple of slow motion shots of the female snagging an insect with her tongue, plus a cameo appearance by Pace, the star of the Stranger In The Pool story.