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Ponds & Aquatic Plants

Toad/Frog Question

17 years ago

I have a small preformed pond. I was very excited that some of my frogs made it through the winter and for the last few weeks I have consistently seen a small bullfrog and a green leopard frog. About a week ago I couldn't find them and have been watching each day with no sign of them. Now I have a few toads in the pond. Here is the question, do the frogs move on when the toads show up or am I over thinking it? I preferred the frogs and got the bullfrog as a tadpole last year. No sign of predators but I canÂt rule it out

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Comments (4)

tillertilter
17 years ago
In my area, the leopard frogs are still calling, the toads started recently, and the peepers are still calling. The calls are the best way to know the local population in my opinion.

As far as your bullfrog and leopard go, they may still be around. Frogs move away from the water quite often, particularly when it is wet out. The toads are only visiting to "hook-up" a date, then they will move back out. It is possible that your small pond got a bit too close for comfort with all the activity, and the increased competition for food. This might have caused the frogs to temporarily go hunting, but beware, when the frogs come out, all the preditors do too. I have seen three garter snakes while I have been working around the pond during the past week. They usually take what they need and leave no sign of a visit. I hope your frogs are well.

Even if they have unfortunatly met with a coon, cat, or snake, there will be more to replace them. Be patient.
A good rain does wonders as the frogs all move around. I am up to 12+ frogs in my pond after 2 days of rain this week, where just a week ago 4 was max. In my wife's little preform in the front yard, she has no frogs until late May or early June, then she'll have 4-8 after a rain! (Tell her they hitch a ride on the geese from down south, but she won't buy it!)

Best of Luck....Enjoy the Changes!
-TT
orchidguyftl
17 years ago
I have a different scenerio
I have green tree frogs, red eyed tree frogs, barking frogs, cuban tree frogs and florida dart frogs all aound my pond. the place is loaded with them. As I sit here out by the pond typing this, it's like a symphony of frog noises. lol. just the other day I woke up to masses of eggs in both the koi pond and the lilly pond and now have loads of little tadpoles here swimming around. Too bad you live up north or I'd send you some, but they wouldn't live the winter
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Not only are they harmless - they eat lots of fleas at that size and when get bigger take on the palmetto bugs, slugs, catapillers, snails, mosquitoes etc, etc. They are the bug hunters in the garden. Let them work for you. Need to be organic, are sensitive fellows to chemicals but take over the chems job quite well. And so cute when they all sing in the water garden. They are singing tonight. Breed, Breed, Breed. They can set up a great harmony. Particularily before a rain storm. Weather forcasters too. Handy critters. Your dogs will put them in their mouth once and then no more. Secrete a distasteful ooze for dogs. If they were born in your pond and yard will stay there. We have the Eastern spadefoot toad and the Western Ridgeback which seem to come in drought years and are too noisy for me. At least i think those are their names from my memory. Say nice things to them, they are our amphibian garden friends. They seem to get used to you if you do that. Sandy
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whatisntseen
17 years ago
haha, I'd take some if I wasnt going to be gone all summer...
tillertilter
17 years ago
Well, I saw one of my small green frogs leave today....as a big bump in the middle of a small garter snake!

And so it goes....

-TT

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