Abiotic Pond Characteristics Potentially Influencing Breeding of Houston Toads (Bufo Houstonensis)‪.‬

Abstract.--Fourteen potential Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) breeding ponds located at the Griffith League Ranch in Bastrop County were surveyed for reproduction over four years. The embankment slope of the ponds at their mean water levels during the summer of 2001 and the pH range of those same ponds proximal to the shore was taken in the morning during the breeding season of 2002. Six of the fourteen ponds were determined to be successful Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) breeding sites, while the other eight were not used by B. houstonensis for breeding. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between the degree of slope and breeding pond use by B. houstonensis. The pH of ponds may not be a factor in determining breeding site success among these ponds. While ponds with an embankment slope of less than 10[degrees] showed higher reproductive success for B. houstonensis, pool levels fluctuated dramatically over the study period. In general, ponds presenting multiple shallow zones across pool height levels are likely to be more successful than those without such bank slope complexity. **********