6-2-21 Frogs that are toads … well maybe!

So, on my usual walk down the mountainside from Strattlihugel 46 to my grocery or to the gym I always walk past this fenced off area that has a winding stream with a fairly good-sized pond near the walkway.  There are the usual aquatic plants and the land is made up of high grasses.

It’s a pretty cool looking area and obviously the conservationists must be a serious bunch here in the Gwatt – Moos area.  The fence is backed up by an “electric” fence behind it!

There is a sign explaining the area inside of the fence – It has a big frog (I discovered today it is really a toad) and a dragonfly (wrong on that one too!) on it as well.  Unfortunately, it is written in German and that does a “non” multilingual guy like me little good.

But, then I think “hold on there Batman”  – I have that fancy translating whatchamacallit on my computer.  But, that would require me to type all of the words into the computer.  Well, that isn’t that hard.  Oh yeah … no offense here … but typing German for a simpleton like me!  Hmm…it’s not so easy when you have to type in words that have 18 letters such as “Altlastensanierung” or “Baurechtsvertrag” which is 16!

I did get it accomplished though.

Turns out this is a patch of land was once basically a dumping ground.  In 2012 the “Pro Natura Region Thun and Bern” were given the go-ahead to clean up the area.  I’m guessing it took a pretty good while to get that done.  But, they did it.  Now, it is a thriving section of Wetlands which has added quite a bit to the Gwattmoos protected grounds which also includes some wooded areas as well.

At first when I saw the sign I figured it had something to do with the frogs that are abundant in the pond near the fence.  They bob up to the surface and nail low flying insects then sink back down.  Since the water isn’t clear I can’t tell if there are any fish in there.  But, I figure there have got to be right???

Anyway, I haven’t seen any frogs get gulped up by a fish (wonder where the bass are?) as they rise to the surface slowly and leisurely float there.  Incidentally these guys make a great deal of racket at night (a veritable cacophony of “froggy” music you might say!)  A few bigtime words in that parenthetical phrase – there, I just did it again just can’t help myself!

Well, it turns out – these guys are pond frogs – from what I understand.  But, also in this pretty marshy area there lives the “Yellow Bellied Toad” as well.  Now this guy is not a common occurrence apparently.  So, these wetlands are important to the recovery of these amphibians.

On another part of the sign there is a picture of what appears to be a dragonfly – but actually it is not!  The explanation here reads:

“Ober zwanzig Libellenarten profitieren von neu geschaffenen Lebensraum und den vielfaltigen Gewassern. Eine davon ist die Zweigestreifte Quelljungafer.  Sie ist fur de Eiablage auf quellartige Kleingewasser angewiesen.  IhreEntwicklungszeit dauert bis zu sechs Jahre.”

Good luck!

OK, I know those of you in the US won’t try to find the translator so I’ll summarize.  According to this sign there are 20 species of Dragonflies and Damselflies in this habitat.  (Yup, they are different – it has to do with the shape of the wings.  No, I do not know which is which!)

How would you have liked to be the grad student writing her (or his) dissertation on dragon/damsel flies while you traipse through this area falling down, getting muddy and counting the different types while patiently taking pictures?  Yeah, my life is way easier than that.

Well, this guy on the sign is the “Two-striped Spring Damselfly” and is a protected bug (sorry species).  The GwattMos wetlands is an ideal place for them to raise a family I guess!  These bad boys can be as large as 85mm.  Go ahead … ask me …  come on … 3.46 inches.  They may dive bomb you – but they do not bite or sting.

So – there is your science lesson for the day.  Given to you by a broken down old football coach!