Sanctuary for Wetland Wildlife

Sanctuary for Wetland Wildlife. . Stop by this wetland on a spring evening to hear the loud ribbitt, ribbitt of hundreds of Pacific tree frogs. They share their haven with a host of amphibians, reptiles, and aquatic insects. What makes this Western Montana wetland a bit safer for its residents? , Take a look to see what's missing. Fish!. If fish were here, they's be gobbling up eggs and larvae. Fish cannot survive, because this is an ephemeral (short-live) wetland that often dries up by the end of summer. , (Captions clockwise from the upper left) , Harmless to Humans , Common Garter Snake , Lurking at the edge of the wetland, a garter snake hunts for frogs, toads, and salamanders. Two kinds are found here, the western terrestrial and the common garter snake. , Braving Ice , Long-toed Salamade , One-third of a mile is a hefty trek for a five-inch salamander that homes her to breed when ice and snow partially cover the water. Their eggs hatch into voracious juveniles that devour mosquito larvae. , Late May Arrivals , Boreal Toad , Soft, high pitched cheeps signal this late May arrival of boreal toads. Females lay eggs that hatch in about ten days. As water levels drop in July, tadpoles change into 1/2-inch long toads. , Spring Chorus , Pacific Treefrog , Listenb to the "ribbitt, rabbit" of breeding tree frogs on spring evenings. Adults arrive in March and linger until May. , Problem Invader , American Bullfrog , American bullfrogs are not native to Montana. These big predators eat our native species. Never release captive bullfrogs into the wild or move them from one pond to another. , Sucking Predator , Giant Water Bug , The giant water bug is Montana's largest aquatic insect, and a predator that stabs, poison, snd sucks up its meal. This bug can bite you too. ,