Lol, maybe next year, I'll buy some tadpoles.
Love the frog pictures too.
Chemicals=Yuck! :sad: :yikesu: :sad:
Love the frog pictures too.
Chemicals=Yuck! :sad: :yikesu: :sad:
Frogs Only Please.....
- Thread starter koiguy1969
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It's been a fun thread with some great photos of frogs...which is why I've been entertaining ideas about mine...remember the thread I posted wherein the only frog I have (green version, stowaway type) got up close and personal with the turtles? Well, okay, this is my contribution to the 'frogs only' thread...another 'story about a frog'. But in this case, TWO!
So, there I was, sitting around the pond, wondering where in the heck the green frog had gotten off to THIS time (seems he's moved 'fave locations' on me now 3 times) and I'm telling my son about all the frogs in this thread, how when I used to cut (I'm a landscaper) this one yard, awhile back, how I'd routinely come across western cricket frogs (and babies, too; geez, talk about small. I think the babies were the size of half a pea!) and also, I'd see leopard frogs. Weeeeellllll, seems someone in this thread has been going on and on about how 'lucky' they are re leopard frogs and whatnot, and I'm thinking (and tellin' my son) that leopard frogs USED to be a lot more common--but not now! I hadn't seen a leopard frog since that 'yard I used to cut way back when'...heck, I says to him (and myself), I think I'm gonna go double the local frog population; wanna come with me?
Seems he hmms and haws cause he's suddenly this last year turned into a total 'save the world (as it is, as it was supposed to be, which means 'no frog 'nappin', Dad--seriously, he says this to me! Me! His ever luvin' father...sheesh. Kids these days! Used to have all sorts of critters as pets when I was a kid...he says; ah, Dad? You're not a kid anymore...I wave him off and seriously ignore the looks on his face) and tells me he's not into the caper. Heck. (Actually, used a more emphatic word than that, but that's neither here nor there) I figure; the pond is still there, the frogs might also be!!
So with a glimmer in my eye (can't twinkle anymore; seems I AM getting a bit old for this), I set about scraping a makeshift 'frog catcher' from a piece of half inch copper pipe and an unused tropical fish net, some duct tape and voila! I'm ready to go. Oh, yeah, got me a bucket, too. And scrounged to find my 'beach shoes' that have been sitting unused in the garage since my honeymoon upon my second marriage back in '09...ah, I'm digressing.
Loaded up, took off and arrived without much fanfare. I DID wonder if the neighbors were going to give me looks as this is sort of a natural waterway right in the heart of suburbia and whatnot...but no problem--hey, it's Saturday, almost dinner time; folks should be either out to dinner or bbqing and much too busy to bother the old guy carrying an empty detergent bucket, a makeshift frog napper, and toting his 4 year old ipod nano strapped to his headphones (I didn't want to be bored, just in case the frogs weren't paying attention to me either--happened before, once, when the kids were little and I did the exact same 'frog napping' thang--another story, though).
So, frogs; yeah, I found some--even had me a smaller green frog but I looked at him and says; you're gonna make the one I currently own a nice lil snack, so best put you back. Which I did. Seemed thankful I did. Then I started getting serious. See, though I KNEW there'd be frogs, and figured green was a very popular trend these days, also DIDN'T want anything to do with the bullfrogs (of which I saw one, sorta small, and heard a few others) because I'm not into putting my fish on a plate for the beast of a frog, as this thread has amply pointed out. Nope, nada, not for me; this was to be for my holy grail frog, (of which there were two--the western chorus ((which I highly doubted I'd be able to find, drawing from the previous futile experience)) or the LEOPARD! I'd heard tales (here, other places on the net, in the hallowed, musty halls of amphidom, everywhere) and knew I'd have to be doubly observant...
Heck, after scaring more than a dozen greens (I assume, since they dart into the water and dive beneath the scuzzy string algae pooling on the surface so fast I'm hardly aware I was even close) and nudging what looked to be one of the bulls, I was beginning to hear the ghosts of 'frog chasing' pasts when I freaked myself out by turning back and nearly stepping on SOMETHING in the grass. Sheez. (not actually the word I used; imagination is a plus for the reader, here) and like a thunder burst, realized even in my heightened blood pressure, the flash of color WASN'T dark green. Could it be? Was it possible? Did I dare?
Of course I did; you think I'd come on the board here and just pull your chain? Hardly. Should know me at least a little better by now; after all, I did offer the now infamous 'frog and turtle' reunion photo just a little while back...
Anyway, I put my makeshift frog napper on one side...carefully slid my foot toward the cluster of verdant greens (Heck, okay, it was a grass clump) and carefully tapped the earth. Bingo! Something spotted and green (the RIGHT shade of green, mind you!) leaped majestically in an enthralling arch (okay, he just lunged sideways, but the way I'm telling it to anyone else will be 'enthralling arch') RIGHT INTO my net! Sheesh, should have seen how I fumbled the net trying to limit escape opportunities...I STILL had the all important 'transfer to transportation device' to do...which I did, though upon hindsight, seems I probably should have picked a deeper bucket. But that's neither here nor there; I got him! Actually, it was a her, but still, she was a fighter nonetheless!
Okay, seems like a lot of action/adventure so far, doesn't it? And you betcha it was, nearly alerted the 'unsuspecting' neighbors that a frog napper was in the vicinity--but I didn't. I tried to be professional about it all. Now, though I'd captured the holy grail, still, it's only one, right? I mean, c'mon, you can't POSSIBLY have tadpoles with just one frog, can you? Surely you begin to see where my thinking was going...right?
Anyhow, I figured I'd look for another one.
Struck out, though; lots of the greens, I ignored the bulls, felt happy that at least 'Khermit' (son wanted 'hermit', wife wanted 'kermit'; you see the compromise that was made), the one and only frog I have and will only have due to the 'pondhouse' nature of my pond--I mean, 'build it and they will come' is the cry of most of you ponders-that-have-frogs, but well, I'm not in the same zip code as that hue and cry--would have a playmate now. If I can find him, that is. Oh, I KNOW he's in there somewhere --it's enclosed, right?...
Time to go introduce 'leopard frog' to Khermit, I turned and whaddya know? ANOTHER swift movement of 'not dark green with lots of spots'!! Well, slam, bam, welcome to my net, lil froggie! See, THIS time, I had experience (and wasn't nearly having a heart attack), so I just made sure he couldn't squiggle out from under...whoosh, flip the bucket lid off (watching to see that the other didn't sneak out) and voila #2! Got me the beginnings of a new frog kingdom. Well, maybe; I didn't look to see if I had two males, two females, or one of each. Time for that later.
One would think I'd rocked the breaking news stations enough, wouldn't one? But no, you'd be in error thinking that way...I arrived home.
And couldn't find anyone; where had my son and wife gone? Sheesh, greatest victory in quite some time and no one to brag to? Geez, I need a break...which I got--they were IN the pondhouse, enjoying the splendiferous Sater-day. Good; got my audience right where I want them...did I mention that earlier this week, upon casual inspection of the deep end, that my son innocently says to me:
'ah, Dad? When did you get the crayfish?'
I double-taked and said 'What? What crayfish?'
And he says slowly; 'the one in the bottom of the bond, you know, on the side WHERE ALL YOUR FISH ARE! Geez, don't crayfish EAT fish? If they can catch them, I found out. Still, would YOU keep a crayfish with all your prize-winning shubbies and sarasseses (spelling???), not to mention all those gold-clad beauties? Hmm, I wasn't thinking great thoughts here and it took us both an hour to haul up the submersible pump, clear away a bucketload of string algae, move around almost ALL the pots and floaters--did I mention it was getting dark, near evening, when we discovered I had ANOTHER stowaway? It was getting dark--had to hoist out the halogen--that baby gave enough light, IF you could hold it over the pond and near the surface--trickier than it looks for a small, pedestal base halogen. You know halogens get real hot, right? They do. I knew this; sort of forgot to tell my son and lined HIM up to hold it...hey, I gave him the choice; hold the light or fish out the varmit with the claws. Btw, did I say it was a very full, mature--looking like he had lobster-sized claws for claws crayfish? Don't sweat this detail nor worry about protective services; my son is over 20 now; a bit of electricity moving through water or a nip from the crayfish--neither was going to be life-threatening...
I digress.
Why am I mentioning the crayfish fisaco? It's germain, important even...because...I went to 'show the wife' and she nearly made me sleep on the couch because I insisted. Sheesh; the crawdad was in a bucket--a deep one, and not in my hand or in a net; couldn't have 'got' her if it had tried. Okay, okay, learned a lesson; 'don't show the wife nuthin no more'. Got it. Lesson learned. Where was I?
Oh yeah, so I arrive triumphantly with my loot--two leopards that will magically surge the local amphibian population by 300% (and that is only this year!), and I sure as heck wanted to 'show' SOMEBODY! Hmm, did I mention my son was there too? Should have gone to him first, right? Hah! I did! See? I AM trainable. Okay, so, son tries to lift the lid off the used soap bucket and hears, immediately I might add, thumping against his hand through the bucket even as he was trying to lift it. That didn't sit well and he gave ME the job of lifting the lid, displaying all my glory as it were...
Fine, so I should have been a bit more careful. Got the lid about an inch off--and that's about all the time I had before 'Rocket' (son named this one--you'll see why in a minute) had his slippery green webs and half his head OUT THE BUCKET. My inclination was to...yeah, you guess it, CLOSE the lid. Not smart--I'd have had three leopard frogs then, and two would be less than useful. I resisted and of course, you KNOW what HAD to happen, right? Only way to save this frog was...yeah, I opened it. Got to confess, I did. Remember that couch sleeping arrangement I hinted at earlier?
Okay, so 'Rocket' goes into liftoff-Challenger Shuttle mode and the first landing he makes is TOWARD my wife, nearly landing on her legs as she hurriedly tried to stand from her comfy patio chair, hands flying, hair whooshing (and flying too), some unintelligible language emanating from her mouth...lucky me, the frog has much better aim/eyesight than Wifey; his second liftoff (surely the one that got him christened) is to totally jump over my wife's lap, over the stream connecting the bog to the 'turtle' pond, and over the basking log, to land within a foot of the screened wall, and upon one of the numerous, lovingly-placed and nature-beautiful rocks surrounding the whole pond, whereupon he turned to...you guessed it; seems I have photogenic frogs. That said, the look he was giving me wasn't exactly the type that screamed 'me, me, take MY picture now!' sort.
Okay, so pics of 'Robbi' (thought the little one was a boy, so son names it Robert; oops! Timpani is small, has to be a girl!) and the other, Rocket.
Whew, I'm tired. More from writin' all this than from everything that happened. Hope you made it to see the pics. Congratulate me; I'm now the proud pappa of three frogs; watch out everyone, I'm gainin' on ya!!!
Michael
So, there I was, sitting around the pond, wondering where in the heck the green frog had gotten off to THIS time (seems he's moved 'fave locations' on me now 3 times) and I'm telling my son about all the frogs in this thread, how when I used to cut (I'm a landscaper) this one yard, awhile back, how I'd routinely come across western cricket frogs (and babies, too; geez, talk about small. I think the babies were the size of half a pea!) and also, I'd see leopard frogs. Weeeeellllll, seems someone in this thread has been going on and on about how 'lucky' they are re leopard frogs and whatnot, and I'm thinking (and tellin' my son) that leopard frogs USED to be a lot more common--but not now! I hadn't seen a leopard frog since that 'yard I used to cut way back when'...heck, I says to him (and myself), I think I'm gonna go double the local frog population; wanna come with me?
Seems he hmms and haws cause he's suddenly this last year turned into a total 'save the world (as it is, as it was supposed to be, which means 'no frog 'nappin', Dad--seriously, he says this to me! Me! His ever luvin' father...sheesh. Kids these days! Used to have all sorts of critters as pets when I was a kid...he says; ah, Dad? You're not a kid anymore...I wave him off and seriously ignore the looks on his face) and tells me he's not into the caper. Heck. (Actually, used a more emphatic word than that, but that's neither here nor there) I figure; the pond is still there, the frogs might also be!!
So with a glimmer in my eye (can't twinkle anymore; seems I AM getting a bit old for this), I set about scraping a makeshift 'frog catcher' from a piece of half inch copper pipe and an unused tropical fish net, some duct tape and voila! I'm ready to go. Oh, yeah, got me a bucket, too. And scrounged to find my 'beach shoes' that have been sitting unused in the garage since my honeymoon upon my second marriage back in '09...ah, I'm digressing.
Loaded up, took off and arrived without much fanfare. I DID wonder if the neighbors were going to give me looks as this is sort of a natural waterway right in the heart of suburbia and whatnot...but no problem--hey, it's Saturday, almost dinner time; folks should be either out to dinner or bbqing and much too busy to bother the old guy carrying an empty detergent bucket, a makeshift frog napper, and toting his 4 year old ipod nano strapped to his headphones (I didn't want to be bored, just in case the frogs weren't paying attention to me either--happened before, once, when the kids were little and I did the exact same 'frog napping' thang--another story, though).
So, frogs; yeah, I found some--even had me a smaller green frog but I looked at him and says; you're gonna make the one I currently own a nice lil snack, so best put you back. Which I did. Seemed thankful I did. Then I started getting serious. See, though I KNEW there'd be frogs, and figured green was a very popular trend these days, also DIDN'T want anything to do with the bullfrogs (of which I saw one, sorta small, and heard a few others) because I'm not into putting my fish on a plate for the beast of a frog, as this thread has amply pointed out. Nope, nada, not for me; this was to be for my holy grail frog, (of which there were two--the western chorus ((which I highly doubted I'd be able to find, drawing from the previous futile experience)) or the LEOPARD! I'd heard tales (here, other places on the net, in the hallowed, musty halls of amphidom, everywhere) and knew I'd have to be doubly observant...
Heck, after scaring more than a dozen greens (I assume, since they dart into the water and dive beneath the scuzzy string algae pooling on the surface so fast I'm hardly aware I was even close) and nudging what looked to be one of the bulls, I was beginning to hear the ghosts of 'frog chasing' pasts when I freaked myself out by turning back and nearly stepping on SOMETHING in the grass. Sheez. (not actually the word I used; imagination is a plus for the reader, here) and like a thunder burst, realized even in my heightened blood pressure, the flash of color WASN'T dark green. Could it be? Was it possible? Did I dare?
Of course I did; you think I'd come on the board here and just pull your chain? Hardly. Should know me at least a little better by now; after all, I did offer the now infamous 'frog and turtle' reunion photo just a little while back...
Anyway, I put my makeshift frog napper on one side...carefully slid my foot toward the cluster of verdant greens (Heck, okay, it was a grass clump) and carefully tapped the earth. Bingo! Something spotted and green (the RIGHT shade of green, mind you!) leaped majestically in an enthralling arch (okay, he just lunged sideways, but the way I'm telling it to anyone else will be 'enthralling arch') RIGHT INTO my net! Sheesh, should have seen how I fumbled the net trying to limit escape opportunities...I STILL had the all important 'transfer to transportation device' to do...which I did, though upon hindsight, seems I probably should have picked a deeper bucket. But that's neither here nor there; I got him! Actually, it was a her, but still, she was a fighter nonetheless!
Okay, seems like a lot of action/adventure so far, doesn't it? And you betcha it was, nearly alerted the 'unsuspecting' neighbors that a frog napper was in the vicinity--but I didn't. I tried to be professional about it all. Now, though I'd captured the holy grail, still, it's only one, right? I mean, c'mon, you can't POSSIBLY have tadpoles with just one frog, can you? Surely you begin to see where my thinking was going...right?
Anyhow, I figured I'd look for another one.
Struck out, though; lots of the greens, I ignored the bulls, felt happy that at least 'Khermit' (son wanted 'hermit', wife wanted 'kermit'; you see the compromise that was made), the one and only frog I have and will only have due to the 'pondhouse' nature of my pond--I mean, 'build it and they will come' is the cry of most of you ponders-that-have-frogs, but well, I'm not in the same zip code as that hue and cry--would have a playmate now. If I can find him, that is. Oh, I KNOW he's in there somewhere --it's enclosed, right?...
Time to go introduce 'leopard frog' to Khermit, I turned and whaddya know? ANOTHER swift movement of 'not dark green with lots of spots'!! Well, slam, bam, welcome to my net, lil froggie! See, THIS time, I had experience (and wasn't nearly having a heart attack), so I just made sure he couldn't squiggle out from under...whoosh, flip the bucket lid off (watching to see that the other didn't sneak out) and voila #2! Got me the beginnings of a new frog kingdom. Well, maybe; I didn't look to see if I had two males, two females, or one of each. Time for that later.
One would think I'd rocked the breaking news stations enough, wouldn't one? But no, you'd be in error thinking that way...I arrived home.
And couldn't find anyone; where had my son and wife gone? Sheesh, greatest victory in quite some time and no one to brag to? Geez, I need a break...which I got--they were IN the pondhouse, enjoying the splendiferous Sater-day. Good; got my audience right where I want them...did I mention that earlier this week, upon casual inspection of the deep end, that my son innocently says to me:
'ah, Dad? When did you get the crayfish?'
I double-taked and said 'What? What crayfish?'
And he says slowly; 'the one in the bottom of the bond, you know, on the side WHERE ALL YOUR FISH ARE! Geez, don't crayfish EAT fish? If they can catch them, I found out. Still, would YOU keep a crayfish with all your prize-winning shubbies and sarasseses (spelling???), not to mention all those gold-clad beauties? Hmm, I wasn't thinking great thoughts here and it took us both an hour to haul up the submersible pump, clear away a bucketload of string algae, move around almost ALL the pots and floaters--did I mention it was getting dark, near evening, when we discovered I had ANOTHER stowaway? It was getting dark--had to hoist out the halogen--that baby gave enough light, IF you could hold it over the pond and near the surface--trickier than it looks for a small, pedestal base halogen. You know halogens get real hot, right? They do. I knew this; sort of forgot to tell my son and lined HIM up to hold it...hey, I gave him the choice; hold the light or fish out the varmit with the claws. Btw, did I say it was a very full, mature--looking like he had lobster-sized claws for claws crayfish? Don't sweat this detail nor worry about protective services; my son is over 20 now; a bit of electricity moving through water or a nip from the crayfish--neither was going to be life-threatening...
I digress.
Why am I mentioning the crayfish fisaco? It's germain, important even...because...I went to 'show the wife' and she nearly made me sleep on the couch because I insisted. Sheesh; the crawdad was in a bucket--a deep one, and not in my hand or in a net; couldn't have 'got' her if it had tried. Okay, okay, learned a lesson; 'don't show the wife nuthin no more'. Got it. Lesson learned. Where was I?
Oh yeah, so I arrive triumphantly with my loot--two leopards that will magically surge the local amphibian population by 300% (and that is only this year!), and I sure as heck wanted to 'show' SOMEBODY! Hmm, did I mention my son was there too? Should have gone to him first, right? Hah! I did! See? I AM trainable. Okay, so, son tries to lift the lid off the used soap bucket and hears, immediately I might add, thumping against his hand through the bucket even as he was trying to lift it. That didn't sit well and he gave ME the job of lifting the lid, displaying all my glory as it were...
Fine, so I should have been a bit more careful. Got the lid about an inch off--and that's about all the time I had before 'Rocket' (son named this one--you'll see why in a minute) had his slippery green webs and half his head OUT THE BUCKET. My inclination was to...yeah, you guess it, CLOSE the lid. Not smart--I'd have had three leopard frogs then, and two would be less than useful. I resisted and of course, you KNOW what HAD to happen, right? Only way to save this frog was...yeah, I opened it. Got to confess, I did. Remember that couch sleeping arrangement I hinted at earlier?
Okay, so 'Rocket' goes into liftoff-Challenger Shuttle mode and the first landing he makes is TOWARD my wife, nearly landing on her legs as she hurriedly tried to stand from her comfy patio chair, hands flying, hair whooshing (and flying too), some unintelligible language emanating from her mouth...lucky me, the frog has much better aim/eyesight than Wifey; his second liftoff (surely the one that got him christened) is to totally jump over my wife's lap, over the stream connecting the bog to the 'turtle' pond, and over the basking log, to land within a foot of the screened wall, and upon one of the numerous, lovingly-placed and nature-beautiful rocks surrounding the whole pond, whereupon he turned to...you guessed it; seems I have photogenic frogs. That said, the look he was giving me wasn't exactly the type that screamed 'me, me, take MY picture now!' sort.
Okay, so pics of 'Robbi' (thought the little one was a boy, so son names it Robert; oops! Timpani is small, has to be a girl!) and the other, Rocket.
Whew, I'm tired. More from writin' all this than from everything that happened. Hope you made it to see the pics. Congratulate me; I'm now the proud pappa of three frogs; watch out everyone, I'm gainin' on ya!!!
Michael
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LOLOL GR8 story brokensword! You have a way with words also in addition to being a Frognapper Good read and got me lauging at the visual. Nice looking leopards as well Hope they have a Gr8 life in their little haven you transported them to. How are they doing today?:goldfish:
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Shoestring...
ah, can't find 'em. Ungrateful ingrates...I'm thinking Khermit's been flappin his gums too much...
Sissy;
hmm, frogs make noise? Would I be able to find them easier if they did?
ah, can't find 'em. Ungrateful ingrates...I'm thinking Khermit's been flappin his gums too much...
Sissy;
hmm, frogs make noise? Would I be able to find them easier if they did?
lmao--great post
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wonderful story, they are hiding from you........
j.w
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That was a fun story BS and felt like I was right there w/ ya the whole time! Glad you got to get out and have an adventure even if ya had to go it alone. Hope your frogs are still around there somewhere or you'll have to go back for more. This time get plenty and odds are some will stick around. I've only got two that I can see at my pond and they one hangs at the bathtub pond and one at the big pond or they switch back and forth..........who knows they both look alike.
This one always sits in this same plant ring. He's hard to see but he's sitting sideways upfront facing to the right.
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Keiko, I'm not sure about the mosquito dunks, but someone posted that using Roundup around a pond will kill or keep all frogs away, so be careful if you use Roundup.
BS, great story, I was also LOL several times through the read. Beautiful specimen! I suspect Addy is right, they are hiding very well.
I got a few pics of a green tree frog of some sort that lives under my sister/BIL's hot tub top. He was there and jumped on my ankle, sister got pics with her phone, but they are pretty small, so I got a few more today with my camera. Will have to wait until I get home tomorrow to download them, though.
Hope you find your new frogs, BS, after going through all that trouble to relocate them. But, as they say, if you bring them, they will leave. If they come, they stay forever. I'm very lucky in the sense that bullfrogs, peepers, cricket frogs and a few leopard frogs are common in my area. So, I wish I had tree frogs. LOL And, I've had bullfrogs since my pond began last spring, and besides possibly losing some fry, they have not touched any of the fish I put in there, including goldies that were 2" or so. I think they are VERY fast and catch things above water much easier than below water. Now, the painted turtle ... still trying to figure out if a 7" length of shell painted turtle is going to be a threat to my fish. It's now in the koi pond, and so far have not noticed any loss of fish, but a lily flower was obviously chewed.
BS, great story, I was also LOL several times through the read. Beautiful specimen! I suspect Addy is right, they are hiding very well.
I got a few pics of a green tree frog of some sort that lives under my sister/BIL's hot tub top. He was there and jumped on my ankle, sister got pics with her phone, but they are pretty small, so I got a few more today with my camera. Will have to wait until I get home tomorrow to download them, though.
Hope you find your new frogs, BS, after going through all that trouble to relocate them. But, as they say, if you bring them, they will leave. If they come, they stay forever. I'm very lucky in the sense that bullfrogs, peepers, cricket frogs and a few leopard frogs are common in my area. So, I wish I had tree frogs. LOL And, I've had bullfrogs since my pond began last spring, and besides possibly losing some fry, they have not touched any of the fish I put in there, including goldies that were 2" or so. I think they are VERY fast and catch things above water much easier than below water. Now, the painted turtle ... still trying to figure out if a 7" length of shell painted turtle is going to be a threat to my fish. It's now in the koi pond, and so far have not noticed any loss of fish, but a lily flower was obviously chewed.
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JW, good thing you said where your frog was! I had a hard time still finding it, but did. He's pretty!
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Instead of using mosquito dunks get some mosquito fish. They are cheap and do work. You can even get free ones from creeks and small ponds. Some are natural others are added by the dept. of natural resources.
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don't ask:
heh, thanks. It WAS an eventful day...week, actually. Thanks for reading all the way through...
addy:
I suppose so. Since everything is enclosed, one would like to think they ARE there but sure do hide well. I figured they were more 'meadow frogs' and not water types ala Khermit, so that means the flora is where I check. And since I don't have it very 'jungly' or even overly established, I can see pretty well all around the plant stems and leaves and STILL no leopards. I'll keep looking though; thanks for reading!
j.w.:
thanks for reading too and I hope I do see them again. It's a pondHOUSE for goshsakes, where could they go? I'm already leary of the three of them getting enough food, so I doubt I'll be bringing in a herd anytime soon...that frog in your pic--it looks a bit like the western chorus frog I was hinting at...ah, is it a small frog about an inch or less big by any chance? If you ever can be sure you've got tadpoles of that type, I'd love to get some from you as I struck out trying to locate any chorus frogs and probably won't have much luck around here. They're very small...and I have read in this very thread how shipping live frogs is a bit touchy, that tads and eggs travel much better, but when I google chorus frogs (even leopards), nothing comes up re purchasing any; just the bulls, and despite what Country says, think I'll pass on taking the chance. Not to mention, Khermit and the two new leopards might be IT'S lunch someday were I to go that route.
Country:
glad you liked; it was interesting to say the least. I do hope they show up, though; I've always liked leopard frogs...now, since I've got an enclosed pond, not much chance they can come or go, not without learning how to push a screen door open, ya know? They got to be in there and I do hope they aren't too upset with their new digs that they're pouting in the corner somewhere...
As noted to j.w., I'd rather not take the chance with a bullfrog. When you hear stories of them swallowing birds, I mean, sheesh; not exactly something to ignore, though you're probably right re the fish being so much faster. Still, I've seen the green frog sit perfectly still while the goldfish swim all around him, practically at his own level; wouldn't take much to lunge and swallow. Just glad Khermit is smaller than a bullfrog and doesn't have the mouth size to really get the mature fish.
Btw, I'm going to do the experiment with turtles and fish too, will let you know how it goes by summer's end. Right now, fry have 'escaped' one side of the pond by slipping under/around the screen divider and have formed their own pack in the turtle end. I'm letting them be since there's more there than the mature goldies on the other side. I DO see the turtle going after them but even small, the goldies seem able to streak away unharmed. I'm thinking IF they grow up and I don't see damaged fish/missing fish on the turtle side, it might mean I can open up the whole pond and not ever worry about a fish balance anymore. At this rate though, should the turtle start making easy meals of the fish as they grow, I'll move them over and decide what to do with any future fry. I know it's more or less the circle of life and all, but I still don't want to be privy to lost/wounded fish. The only adult that ever got over to the turtle side somehow (last summer), was chased and was missing half its tail before I noticed what had happened. This fish also wasn't swimming in the open (as the fry are doing) but was hiding/cowering near the potted plants, so no doubt I had to return him to his proper side. We'll see how it all goes.
Also, as noted to j.w., if you ever KNOW you have cricket tads or eggs and want to unload some, I can offer a really nice home here in Michigan...just let me know! Seems I can't find any for sale online and that's partly why I went hunting!
icsd'71:
that looks like a green maybe, yes? Neat to see them on the lily pads; I haven't had that photo op yet.
buckry:
HEY! You FOUND one of my missing ones! Looks just like Robbi!!! So, that's where one has gone, hey?
Thanks all for reading and commenting!
Michael
heh, thanks. It WAS an eventful day...week, actually. Thanks for reading all the way through...
addy:
I suppose so. Since everything is enclosed, one would like to think they ARE there but sure do hide well. I figured they were more 'meadow frogs' and not water types ala Khermit, so that means the flora is where I check. And since I don't have it very 'jungly' or even overly established, I can see pretty well all around the plant stems and leaves and STILL no leopards. I'll keep looking though; thanks for reading!
j.w.:
thanks for reading too and I hope I do see them again. It's a pondHOUSE for goshsakes, where could they go? I'm already leary of the three of them getting enough food, so I doubt I'll be bringing in a herd anytime soon...that frog in your pic--it looks a bit like the western chorus frog I was hinting at...ah, is it a small frog about an inch or less big by any chance? If you ever can be sure you've got tadpoles of that type, I'd love to get some from you as I struck out trying to locate any chorus frogs and probably won't have much luck around here. They're very small...and I have read in this very thread how shipping live frogs is a bit touchy, that tads and eggs travel much better, but when I google chorus frogs (even leopards), nothing comes up re purchasing any; just the bulls, and despite what Country says, think I'll pass on taking the chance. Not to mention, Khermit and the two new leopards might be IT'S lunch someday were I to go that route.
Country:
glad you liked; it was interesting to say the least. I do hope they show up, though; I've always liked leopard frogs...now, since I've got an enclosed pond, not much chance they can come or go, not without learning how to push a screen door open, ya know? They got to be in there and I do hope they aren't too upset with their new digs that they're pouting in the corner somewhere...
As noted to j.w., I'd rather not take the chance with a bullfrog. When you hear stories of them swallowing birds, I mean, sheesh; not exactly something to ignore, though you're probably right re the fish being so much faster. Still, I've seen the green frog sit perfectly still while the goldfish swim all around him, practically at his own level; wouldn't take much to lunge and swallow. Just glad Khermit is smaller than a bullfrog and doesn't have the mouth size to really get the mature fish.
Btw, I'm going to do the experiment with turtles and fish too, will let you know how it goes by summer's end. Right now, fry have 'escaped' one side of the pond by slipping under/around the screen divider and have formed their own pack in the turtle end. I'm letting them be since there's more there than the mature goldies on the other side. I DO see the turtle going after them but even small, the goldies seem able to streak away unharmed. I'm thinking IF they grow up and I don't see damaged fish/missing fish on the turtle side, it might mean I can open up the whole pond and not ever worry about a fish balance anymore. At this rate though, should the turtle start making easy meals of the fish as they grow, I'll move them over and decide what to do with any future fry. I know it's more or less the circle of life and all, but I still don't want to be privy to lost/wounded fish. The only adult that ever got over to the turtle side somehow (last summer), was chased and was missing half its tail before I noticed what had happened. This fish also wasn't swimming in the open (as the fry are doing) but was hiding/cowering near the potted plants, so no doubt I had to return him to his proper side. We'll see how it all goes.
Also, as noted to j.w., if you ever KNOW you have cricket tads or eggs and want to unload some, I can offer a really nice home here in Michigan...just let me know! Seems I can't find any for sale online and that's partly why I went hunting!
icsd'71:
that looks like a green maybe, yes? Neat to see them on the lily pads; I haven't had that photo op yet.
buckry:
HEY! You FOUND one of my missing ones! Looks just like Robbi!!! So, that's where one has gone, hey?
Thanks all for reading and commenting!
Michael
j.w
I Love my Goldies
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I have no idea what kind of frog I have. It is bigger than what you are talking about BS. It's about 3" or so from nose to butt. There was a discussion on here between Haro and someone else about what kind they thought it was but I can't remember what they said. I'll see if I can find the post and post it here or maybe one of them will chime in w/ the answer. Also I have never had any frog eggs or tadpoles in my pond from any of my two frogs. They must have hopped here and just decided they liked it. Maybe now that I actually have a couple they will lay some eggs in a plant ring next year. I'm hoping anyways!
Here is the thread where we were talking about frogs:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/8885-frog-mating-call/page__st__30
Here is the thread where we were talking about frogs:
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/8885-frog-mating-call/page__st__30