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JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) — Swarms of toads could make picnicking on the scenic shore of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park a lot less appealing for some people, but others are thrilled an uncommon species is staking out new territory in huge numbers.
Tens of thousands of tiny, just-metamorphosed boreal toads have been migrating away from the lake lately, prompting park officials to close a picnic area to vehicles.
Boreal toads top out at 3 to 4 inches, but these toads are just babies measuring half an inch long, said Debra Patla of the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative.
"We didn't know that they're breeding anywhere near the Lakeview picnic areas," said Patla. "I think what we're seeing now at Lakeview is an example of how toads can find new areas."
Conservation groups in the southern Rockies have unsuccessfully petitioned to protect the boreal toad under the Endangered Species Act. The species is less threatened around Jackson, however, and considered "widespread but not common" in Grand Teton, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reports (http://bit.ly/1vSMoIt ).
Grand Teton has about a dozen known boreal toad breeding areas. Even so, unnatural water level fluctuations at Jackson Lake and on the Snake River pose challenges for the park's boreal toads.
"They face some real threats here in terms of their habitat and what it used to be decades ago," Patla said. "We've always felt that this species has declined since the 1950s, and there's reason for concern."
Boreal toads also recently repopulated the Sawmill Ponds along Moose-Wilson Road in the southern part of Grand Teton, she said.
Midday, when the toads are most active, is the best time to spot them on the move. Although the picnic area is closed to vehicles, foot traffic is welcome, park officials said.
"It looked like there were some squished ones on the roadside," Patla said. "But not that many."
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Information from: Jackson Hole (Wyo.) News And Guide, http://www.jhnewsandguide.com
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