Something ate our toad tadpoles

13 years ago

We had our normal brood of toad tadpoles this spring. Their numbers were slowly dwindling but we still had a noticable amount of them in the pond. We know most will die but a few survive each year.

About 10 days ago a green frog visited our pond for the first time since we started our pond 3 years ago. We were happy to see a new critter in our garden. Now she's gone and we also noticed all of our toad tadpoles are gone as well. There is not one tadpole left and they were not mature eanough to leave on their own.

The koi don't bother them and we have no snakes. Our guess is the green frog ate them and has moved on since her food source is gone. Any ideas on this?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

horton

13 years ago

digger, the first year or two we had a pond, we were delighted that the toads used it to spawn in. We made a floating,nursery basket to keep the toad tadpoles from being eaten by the fish and we were thrilled to see the little toad-lets eventually take off into their new world, our garden and farther afield, to feed on all the pesky insects that chew up our flowers and plants.

What I did not count on was, that the following years those precious little toad-lets, now mature, would return to their Garden of Eden to beget more spawn, from which commeth more toads to beget, prosper and multiply again and again, until the noise from hundreds of them, begetting and singing their praises all night long in the spring, would have awakened the dead.

I have transported gallons of spawn, heaps of tadpoles and hundreds of adult toads to a nature area near us. Where they can beget to their little heart's content and sing happily all night without bothering me or my neighbours.

Toads are much hardier and are surviving at a better rate, than their cousins the frogs, in to-days poisoned environment.
With the upsurge in garden water features and the protection they afford to these amphibians, toads have a greater chance of survival and multiplying.

Again, like a number of other pond related subjects, it is up to the individual pond owner to decide what is in or out, what they want or don't want, in their personal little Eden's.
For me a couple of toads in and around my pond, is fine, as long as they are both of the same sex. :)
I don't want to go through all that noise and transporting again.

"Horton"

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Comments (15)

pondbucket
13 years ago
Frogs are carnivores and eat only live things. My guess is that you are correct in your assumption. If hungry enough they will eat tadpoles.

I have two green frogs visiting or staying in my pond. This is the first year I've seen them. We still have toad tadpoles but it is hard to extrapolate the numbers, as they grow in size -- they're still relatively small. In years past when we didn't have any frogs the tadpoles dwindled in number but we would always have many that would MAKE IT OUT ALIVE!

So it's hard to say what is going on, isn't it!?
johnkr
13 years ago
Tadpoles are at the bottom of the food chain in a back yard pond. I'm sure the green frog at some, but I would not rule out the fish eating some as well.
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Ilene in the Poconos
Original Author
13 years ago
We read that Koi typically do not eat toad tadpoles due to their toxicity. This seems to be consistent with the behavior we see with our Koi. They do not bother the toad tadpoles even when they're right in front of them.

Since all of the tadpoles disappeared in less than a week we feel the frog ate them. Well there is always next year.

Pondbucket, you will have to update us later as to whether any tadpoles survived.

Thanks for your comments.
garden_mama_66
13 years ago
We seem to have the opposite issue. I have had a frog living in my pond for a few weeks now. Since the tadpoles hatched I haven't seen him around. I was worried he would eat all the tadpoles. Now I'm wondering if they just annoyed him as there are SO many.
goodkarma_
13 years ago
I never saw my Koi eat toad tadpoles until this year. I had thousands two days ago and now the numbers are dwindling as well. Since I never noticed my Koi eating them in the years past I would never have thought it was them. But now I know better. My guess is the Koi are eating them when you are not looking.

Lisa
louie_gardner
13 years ago
I know nothing about KOI but toads like bufo Marinus and frogs like Cuban treefrogs which predators won't eat (well at leat the Bufo Marinus) they DEVOUR the tadpoles.

I don't think there are any tadpoles of any amphibian that are toxic only the adult itself is actually toxic because they develop glands and/or secrete toxic mucous that tadpoles are not able to. .
Birds,fish,racoons ,other amphibians will devour all types tadpoles.
ltakachuch
13 years ago
I have only one thing to say about losing all your toad tadpoles. Be thankful!
horton
13 years ago
ltakachuch,
AMEN to that!
"Horton"
louie_gardner
13 years ago
Posted by ltakachuch (My Page) on Thu, May 27, 10 at 23:33

I have only one thing to say about losing all your toad tadpoles. Be thankful!
-----------------------------
Lol why if anything they eat mosquitos and lots of insects that eat plants
Ilene in the Poconos
Original Author
13 years ago
We have a new brood of tadpoles! Not sure if they're frogs or toads.

Thanks for all of the feedback. We do like having the toads around for insect control.
diggery
13 years ago
Curious here about being *thankful* all the toadpoles were lost (?). Especially the AMEN bit..

Horton, spill please....

~digger
Ilene in the Poconos
Original Author
13 years ago
Horton,

So the moral of the story is......don't mess with Mother Nature when it comes to toad tadpoles!

I just went out to the pond and discovered the return of our green frog.....just in time for the arrival of brood #2 of the tadpoles. I'm sure she will take care of a few!

We will be content with the few that survive the trials and tribulations of our bank yard pond. I would not want to go through your ordeal.

Ilene in the Poconos
cweathersby
13 years ago
Toads, Frogs, I have them all. There comes a point each year when every step you take in the yard squashes a baby one. Literally there are 30 under your foot and no amount of manuvering will let you escape the inevitable squash. And forget talking on the phone at night. Even inside the noise is deafing. But I let em stay. Got an albino this year. He's pretty cool.
diggery
13 years ago
Horton wrote...
quote: For me a couple of toads in and around my pond, is fine, as long as they are both of the same sex. :)

Ah, I see your point. I've heard others refer to toad problems but generally assumed they just didn't like toads. (ya, i know what one does when one *assumes* - guilty as charged)

Guess I'm just amazed, considering I'm in the deep south and never seen more than a couple of toads around my yard/pond despite the gazillions of toadpoles each year. I've certainly never had to *watch my step* or take precautions when mowing the lawn. Once the initial migration is over, I'm hard pressed to spot a toad anywhere.

Perhaps it's because I live in an agricultual region and the pesticides which contribute to our poisoned environment take more of a toll here(?) Dunno, but thanks for taking the time to explain. I'll be a bit more, um...understanding of those who profess to have toad problems henceforth.

ever the student,
~digger

Something ate our toad tadpoles

horton

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