Squished Toad in the Road at 1:00 am

If you saw a dead toad as you were driving back from a wedding at 1:00 in the morning, would you stop to see what species it was?  What if it was a large, unfamiliar city?  What if your mother-in-law was in the backseat?

Most people would say, "That would be crazy".  Most people are not my husband Mark Scott, amateur herpetologist and amphibian photographer.

As we were driving back from my niece's wedding in San Antonio, my husband exclaimed, "Did you see that toad?"  I sleepily said, "What toad?"  My husband answered, "There was a DOR toad, and I think that it was a new species for me."  (DOR = dead in the road.) 

I firmly stated, "It's 1:00 in the morning, and my mother is in the backseat.  We are not stopping for a dead toad."

Mark seemed disappointed as he drove us back to the La Quinta Inn  As we were entering the side door of the hotel, a toad jumped in front of us.  Mark identified it as the Gulf Coast toad (bufo valliceps).  He got his camera and took a few photos.  He said that it was the same species as the dead toad.

Mark was happy to be photographing amphibians after taking so many people photos at the wedding.  I was just happy not to be looking for a dead toad on an access road.