Tiny baby frogs and toads! - Page 2

Jim Smith · 10-01-13, 06:47 PM

I just saw this thread thought I'd join in. I and can certainly relate to what Pareeeee is talking about. I live on a 50 acre lake and in mid to late spring, I actually have to skip mowing the lawn some weeks because there are so many tiny toads hoping around and I don't want to hurt or kill them. There are literally hundreds of them and you have to watch where you step. They're down to somewhat manageable numbers now, probably from predation, but I can go out and find 10 -20 toads at any given time. I love to have them around and leave the flood lights on in the evenings to bring in the bugs so they can come to the feast every night. I've always heard that having lots of toads and frogs around is a sign of a healthy environment since they are so susceptible to toxic sprays and poisons.

Thanks for sharing.

Jim Smith

Doug 351 · 10-02-13, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I just saw this thread thought I'd join in. I and can certainly relate to what Pareeeee is talking about. I live on a 50 acre lake and in mid to late spring, I actually have to skip mowing the lawn some weeks because there are so many tiny toads hoping around and I don't want to hurt or kill them. There are literally hundreds of them and you have to watch where you step. They're down to somewhat manageable numbers now, probably from predation, but I can go out and find 10 -20 toads at any given time. I love to have them around and leave the flood lights on in the evenings to bring in the bugs so they can come to the feast every night. I've always heard that having lots of toads and frogs around is a sign of a healthy environment since they are so susceptible to toxic sprays and poisons.

Thanks for sharing.

Jim Smith

I'm glad to hear that frogs and toads are doing well somewhere because they aren't here. I don't think the main problem is pesticides here. I do think it has some effect though.

But we have a drop in frogs, toads, horned toads, and quail and I think that they are all suffering from the same problem.

I think it is the imported fire ants. The horned toad because they displaced their food source.Toads and frogs- while they are hibernating, the fire ants kill them and feed on the carcasses. Quail are ground nesting birds and the fire ants kill the babies.

Of course I would be remiss not to mention some people think that this is just nature at work and no matter how bad man screws things up- nature will fix it and it's OK if non native species overtake native ones because all that matters is survival of the fittest.

Jim Smith · 10-02-13, 06:44 AM

Unfortunately, we also have an abundance of fire ants here in Georgia. I hate the little buggers. I think the toad population is so high because of the combination of living on a clean, very healthy lake and having a lot of woods and a river about 100 yards from the house which provides lots of food and cover. That said, I suspect it is more of a localized condition and toads are not nearly as abundant in other areas of Georgia.

Jim Smith

sharthun · 10-02-13, 10:39 AM

Awesome amphibians and shots!

DragonsEye · 10-02-13, 01:05 PM

The 1st and 3rd froggy pics were particularly cute, Paris.

Doug 351 · 10-03-13, 02:32 AM

I think baby humans are ugly pink wrinkled critters put up next to baby frogs and toads. Lol.It absolutely makes my day when I see one. (Baby lizards too).

Oh heck- now I am thinking- how can I leave out baby anything? Baby possums-don't really know why- but I love them- even though they are uglier than human babies. Lol.
Birds, puppies, kittens, mice, and little red eared sliders. ...

Don't get me wrong- I like human babies too- just not that much when they are brand new. Two year olds are completely adorable. IDK Y I don't like newborn babies. It's not that they are repulsive-I just don't seem to have the same ooh ahh feeling that most people do.

**Pareeeee** · 10-03-13, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug 351

I think baby humans are ugly pink wrinkled critters put up next to baby frogs and toads. Lol.It absolutely makes my day when I see one. (Baby lizards too).

Oh heck- now I am thinking- how can I leave out baby anything? Baby possums-don't really know why- but I love them- even though they are uglier than human babies. Lol.
Birds, puppies, kittens, mice, and little red eared sliders. ...

Don't get me wrong- I like human babies too- just not that much when they are brand new. Two year olds are completely adorable. IDK Y I don't like newborn babies. It's not that they are repulsive-I just don't seem to have the same ooh ahh feeling that most people do.

I don't "ooh" and "ahh" over babies either. I sometimes just go with the flow and "ooh" and "ahh" just for the mother's sake, otherwise she probably will think I don't like her baby. I think it's weirder for a gal than a guy to not 'gush' over babies. I'm the same with baby monkeys or apes, I guess 'cause they look too much like humans.

My friend put it the best: Babies are like dogs. Oh look, it's pooping. Oh look, it's eating grass. Oh look, it's rolling around on the ground.

LOL

Ok so cutest baby animals other than frogs and toads?

Baby Fennec Foxes. (THE cutest!)
Puppies, particularly boxers and dachshunds.
Baby turtles.
Baby Octopus!
Baby rabbits.
Baby raccoons.
Baby hedgehogs.

Baby flies. Just kidding.

Doug 351 · 10-03-13, 08:26 PM

Mmmmmmmm- baby octopus........ ( insert Homer Simpson drool here)............MMMMMMMMNN- baby octopus. ...... (or is that octopuses or octopi) ....I never could stop at one.

Of course there isn't but a couple of things on your list I DON'T eat and. .....at the advice of council we shall leave those undetermined at this point. ...

lisas · 10-03-13, 08:41 PM

Beautiful frog and toad, awesome photos. We have a lot here too (leopard frogs and baby toads). The one year I used chemical fertilizer pellets on my lawn was the year I had no baby toads in my yard. Now, I keep it natural, with different varieties of wild plants and grasses and its like a nature refuge (there's a 100 acre one behind me actually).