We found several holes like this on the ground under the tree canopy along White Rock Creek this past weekend. We weren’t sure what kind of critter made burrows like these, so we stopped and examined many of them. Most appeared to be empty. One contained a Gulf Coast Toad and some kind of snail.
So, is the Gulf Coast Toad the burrow digger or is he just a squatter? I can’t say. I wouldn’t expect a Gulf Coast Toad to burrow this extensively. If there are experts out there who can shed some light, we’d like to hear from you.
Nice one..
Think you’re right. We found one too using an endoscope camera. 🙂 Our guy looked to have freshly dug his burrow in soft earth into a vertical wall along the Trinity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiABl_RQeFc&feature=youtu.be
Oh, yes, I have recently observed this behavior and also in September 2018. Check out my blog post: https://sherylsmithrodgers.blogspot.com/2021/05/whats-in-that-hole.html.
I had noticed two suspect holes in a depression in my backyard. New soil had been tricked in a year ago so it probably didn’t settle fully there. I dig down about a foot and discovered two Gulf Coast Toads and a tunnel leading even deeper. Luckily I didn’t injure them. I felt bad destroying their entry way but I’m relieved it’s not rats or some other pest. I’m not sure if they dug the tunnels or just took advantage of his left by a foot of clay being haphazardly spread over the yard. I would guess a combination of the two. On another note, I love that almost all Houston water meter boxes have a designated Gulf Coast toad always standing guard