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After couple abortive shot to leave Târgu Mureş on Sunday, finally together with Zsolt Hegyeli, my friend, we arrived to the so called "desert of Seclerland", the "Mestecănişul de la Reci". When you try the the soil of the protected area and surroundings, you will see why this name (from the first part of 20 century). This area were filled with sand dunes and birch trees (from were its name).

In the first picture you can see the birch trees in the background, the protected area. The pines were just planted to "stop" the spread of sandy areas (so f... stupidity). This little pond is near to the road with just one observed spawn. Probable Agile Frog (Rana dalmatina).

Our trip started here a little later, at 3 o'clock, but with a high dose of luck. One the first ponds (puddles) checked, an agglomeration of Moor Frogs (Rana arvalis) were observed mating. These tussocky clamps are generally as thigh as high. So circulation between or on them are sometimes difficult. 

The main battle field (picture) were occupied by more than 70 males in nuptial colors. The females were very hard to be checked as are usually in amplex so situated underneath. Although specimens were seen in the neighbor areas even out of water. The total area with the frog agglomeration could be approximate as a circle with 5-6 m radius. 

As many pair were in amplex several tens of spawns could be observed in the pictures. Of course with no frogs as they disappeared.

The usual situation in frogs if the females are outnumbered by males. Two groups with two males in amplex with one females. 

Even out of water the males are interested in fighting for females, even against humans.

And couple pair with males with different color pattern... The small body length of the exemplars remained in my mind... hm...

This pair were found out of water. Both had mostly bald skin, probable the male captured the female on its way to the puddle, as he has lacking also its nuptial wear.

And a single male with nuptial wear...

... or almost in nuptial wear (as the body dimensions shows that they are at the start of its mating activities).

The males could be differentied from females also by the nuptial pads on its fingers.

The species is characterized by brown spots on its flanks. Here a male with transitional coloration.

The species could be differentiated from the Agile Frog and Common Frog (Rana temporaria) by its large metatarsal tubercle, sometimes sharply edged.

The females are wearing the usual patterns and colors. Look the brown spots on their flanks.

Another interesting inhabitant of these habitats is the Little Water Frog (Pelophylax lessonae). Indeed the little...

The species could be differentiated from the other green frogs as Lake Frog (P. ridibundus) or the hybrid one, the Edible Frog (P. kl. esculentus) mainly by its symmetrical, large, high, hard and of semicircular shape metatarsal tubercles.

Another characteristic of the species (characteristic for the Edible Frog too) the flanks and the posterior part of thighs are usually marbled with yellow and black.

The Little Water Frog is the form with the shortest legs from the green frog group which live in Romania.

A part of the Little Water Frog habitat from the Reci.

Further we found just the spawns of the Moor Frog. So, for our luck, that group was between the last ones which had its mating period so later.

The Moor Frog spawns are not so rare (as we found) but they are restricted in some places in each puddles.

This little puddle is used by Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus), Agile Frog and Little Water Frogs.

Another puddle is used also by Smooth Newts (Lissotriton vulgaris probably the vulgaris form, see my other trips were photos with the L. v. ampelensis are posted).

These Agile Frog pair (upp: females, down: males) were in mating activities in the same pond with the Smooth Newt. Probable between the last ones.

Another puddle...

... with dead Common Frog (the same wounds as in my other trips) ... 

... and a dead Agile Frog...

Some spawns are in danger to dry out, as the drought is a common phenomena in this zone at this moment.

This Moor Frog and another one were found in small water. Look the interesting neck coloration.

A subadult Great Crested Newt was found out of water, traveling to the forest. The newts missed one of its first leg.

Another species in the area the Common Toad (Bufo bufo) was present just with this dead specimens. Probable its mating time here is later.

OTHER TRIPS

Second day, we traveled to find some other habitats known by Zsolt Hegyeli as inhabited by Moor Frogs (Rana arvalis). Near Telechia locality (see map from the first day) the swampy area was found drought. The presence of frogs were identified after the existent spawns in several ditches, as in the picture below. This dirch were inhabited by Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris vulgaris) also.

The mating period is finalized in this species, although the stage of different spawns showed that the period was finished just couple day before. The change of shape, thus the development of eggs, is hardly influenced by the low temperature. The older eggs are those from the dilated spawns (the white ones).

In that area the ice cover on the water is still common in colder days.

The swampy areas are drought because of presence of these ditches.

Even the spawns could be captured in ices...

The shallow coastal water of a backwater (which belongs to the Râul Negru river) is ideal for the Moor Frog, the Agile Frog (R. dalmatina) and Common Frog (R. temporaria) as breeding site.

Different Moor Frog spawns...

The tadpoles of the Common Frogs are ready to their life.

Some amphibians died in their breeding habitat, as a Common Frog and an Agile Frog.

In the Mestecănişul de la Reci you could see the effect of drought... which combined with the fire...

Another species which appear later is the Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus). We found just a carcass in the pine forest. The species appear here in great number.

We checked again the mating spot of Moor Frog. We observed just males, although they were singing probable with same pleasure, but slower and soft due to the colder day.

And finaly this could be a characteristic picture of the protected area, made from the road.

OTHER TRIP