Hobo Jungle

[rogruth]

Best photo of Bufo americanus, female, I have ever seen Pete.

OK Wayne,how you know dat?

[webenda]

Hi Murph,

The news media sensationalizes everything. Heat is nothing new for the Sonoran Desert.

National Weather Service Forecast Office says
All-time Tucson daily and monthly extremes for the period (1894-2011)
Temperature Record High: 117 deg F on June 26, 1990
Reference: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/climate/all-time.php

Although most weather stations in Tucson reported 109 to 110 today it only reached 107 at my place. The evaporative cooler (aka; swamp cooler, desert cooler, and wet air cooler) is blowing out 74 °F air at around 5,000 cubic feet per minute. Makes the house seem cold.

Domestic cats are reported to be descended from desert cats, so I don't understand why they act like it is sooooo hot every summer. My cats come in through the cat door every 30 minutes to an hour and plop down under a cooler vent. Once cooled off, out they go to play again. Stray cats find places where I watered this morning to sleep the whole day away under a tree or bush.

How are you taking the heat plus humidity this summer? I would have a hard time with 90 °F and 70% humidity--probably have to stay inside till sunset.

[webenda]

Best photo of Bufo americanus, female, I have ever seen Pete.

OK Wayne,how you know dat?

Roger,

My photos of desert toads never look as great as Pete's image. Nor have I ever seen any toad images so sharp in books, magazines or on-line. So my judgment of "best photo of Bufo americanus I have ever seen" comes from experience.

As for identifying species and sex...

One, I recognize the species.

Two, I looked it up before posting because some toads look like Bufo americanus but are not. The parotoid glands (two big lumps above and behind the ears) are separate from the cranial crest on amercanus. Even though the point of view is low, you can see the separation.

Three, male toads have horny tubercles in their first and second fingers to get a tight hold on the female toad with. This one does not have those features.

Four, americanus male toads have smaller ears than female americanus toads (just the opposite from bull frogs.) This lady has big ears.

Five, Male Bufo americanus are about half the size of the female. Pete gave away that this is a big toad.

One can tell, by Reginald's bulk, that he has been around awhile.

If I were Pete I would continue calling Reginald, "him or he," because no one else knows the difference, not even Reginald.

[rogruth]

.Well you answered my question.

[darsenau]

We've been put here in Arizona for 3 years now and the heat here is much more bearable than the heat and humidity back in PA.

[v8vega]

There having a marathon in Pasadena today and the forecast is 107. Thats in the valley but I'm sure its the same there. And the Dodgers are playing in this heat.
Yesterday on the freeway near the desert, in the afternoon, probably at least 105, some poor guys car broke down, he pulled over to the side and got out and was struck and killed. In the ensuing backup 30 or 40 cars overheated and people were being treated for heat illness.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

We've been put here in Arizona for 3 years now and the heat here is much more bearable than the heat and humidity back in PA.

I can appreciate that - I was in San Antonio for a couple of days when it was ~110 and really did not mind it half as much as the 90's + humidity in the DC area.

[2railjon]

Another reason I avoid taking Craigslist seriously..........

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/3903264187.html

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Another reason I avoid taking Craigslist seriously..........

http://pensacola.craigslist.org/grd/3903264187.html

That raises questions that I'm not altogether sure I want to know the answers to nor how they might be obtained,

[rogruth]

Rufus,

I agree.

[2railjon]

Not sure what these are, but I can assure if you accidently brush up against them misery will ensue. Ask me how I know.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Might the goat from Craig's list be useful for dealing with these critters?

[2railjon]

He needs to come down on his rental price!

[healey36]

Looks like the insect version of the lionfish...

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I don't even know what I'm looking at there, where one begins and the other one ends; flora or fauna?