Rio Grande Chirping Frog

Finally!!! We had a very much needed rainy day...

...but before the rain, during the extreme drought conditions, I would find many of these small frogs in my pots of carnivorous plants. They are Rio Grande Chirping Frogs - Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides. They were probably the only source of moisture these little frogs could find. I only see them at night time when I would get home from work and water my plants. Sometimes I would find a few in one small pot.

Here's one Rio Grande Chirping Frog tucked under the leaf of a Nepenthes. The Sphagnum moss is constantly moist/wet so these frogs would find these spots comfortable in the very dry conditions. They make a short little chirping sound: Rio Grande Chirping Frog

So what is the Rio Grande Chirping Frog doing in my Houston, TX yard?? My Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians states that they are introduced to Houston and San Antonio and also that it adapts well to residential areas.

That is a good thing that came out of the drought - finally be able to see what was making all the chirping! I used to think it was the Mediterranean Geckos - Hemidactylus turcicus I always see at night.

Here is the Mediterranean Gecko climbing the wall of my back porch.These are abundant in Houston! ...they sound nothing like the Chirping Frog.

And here is there sound: Mediterranean Gecko sound.