Frogs Only Please.....

[CountryEscape]

My friend built me a sign that says that, "Frog Parking Only, All Others Will Be Toad". I love it! Need to put it on a post, so it will be high enough that I can see it!
I've noticed that when it gets really hot, my bullfrogs go AWOL. Now that the evenings are going down to about 70, they are out, but only at night. Not seeing them during the day. No clue if they are hiding in the bogs, or left or what.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I had this HUGE bullfrog. He switched from the north end, to the south end of the pond 2 weeks ago. I haven't seen him for a week. Early this summer, he would jump in when I got about 20 feet away. The last time I saw him he was on the grass. I got within 3 feet and he never moved. I hope he comes back.

 

[CountryEscape]

Something strange is going on in my area it seems. Monarchs are not around, although swallowtails are in abundance. Frogs never left like this before, but I'm guessing they are in the bog staying cool, only coming out at night. Rain is coming on a regular basis, which is a VERY welcome thing for me in IL, even though I have to mow at least every 5 days. I could be sweeping the grass clippings from my yard mowing every 5 days, it's growing that much. It's like spring, but very warm temps. Crazy!

 

[Timothy]

I'm a little late getting into this conversation! Missed you Country!
We have a couple of good sized frogs that hold court one on each end of the pond and a few smaller ones scattered in between. We also have a pussy willow tree that the Japanese Beetles seem to like. I catch the beetles, take off one wing so they can't fly away, and drop them on the lily pads. Not too long ago one frog ate 12 beetles! After he stopped taking them I watched him for a while and apparently one or two beetles were trying to escape the way they went in because he had to keep swallowing. I'm sure the beetles don't die instantly and I can only imagine a couple of them crawling around inside looking for the exit. I wouldn't have believed it, but even a gold fish took a beetle.

 

[addy1]

one way to get rid of those suckers!

 

[CountryEscape]

I imagine if that big frog had simply opened it's mouth, there would have been a beetle or two in there. LOL Good for you! I've not tried the Japanese beetles, seems nothing wanted them. I didn't realize it, but they only last 2-3 weeks before laying eggs and dying. They are gone in my area, thank goodness. My frogs prefer grubs ... they told me!
My bullfrogs are not even coming out during the day for a while now. I think it has been so hot, they are staying in the bog under the vegetation. I hear them jump in at night when I take the dogs back to the kennel. Need to spotlight them some evening and see what size and how many there are.

 

[budgenator]

We've got something like 8 frogs that I know about, about half was from store-bought tadpoles, the other half I suspect were resident born, because they are so small.

This guy just owns the duck decoy, the frogs have been very territorial this year so this guy is probably happy to find a spot where the big guys don't bully him.
While working on my waterfall, I found there was a very large garter snake nesting under the liner, I might end up up to my eyeballs in frogs if he leaves. We got a ton of toads, I'm going to build some toad ramps for them and some toad houses. I also saw a boatman beetle that was an honest inch and a half long, it was sitting on a piece of 1.5 inch PVC so I had a size comparison.

 

[Timothy]

We've got something like 8 frogs that I know about, about half was from store-bought tadpoles, the other half I suspect were resident born, because they are so small.View attachment 93870
This guy just owns the duck decoy, the frogs have been very territorial this year so this guy is probably happy to find a spot where the big guys don't bully him.
While working on my waterfall, I found there was a very large garter snake nesting under the liner, I might end up up to my eyeballs in frogs if he leaves. We got a ton of toads, I'm going to build some toad ramps for them and some toad houses. I also saw a boatman beetle that was an honest inch and a half long, it was sitting on a piece of 1.5 inch PVC so I had a size comparison.

Your "decoy frog" reminded me of the "towboat frog". I play around with RC boats and this guy hitched a ride across the pond.......

He just jumped on from the water. It didn't matter so much on this model, but I have a couple that are much smaller and he would have sunk them!

Speaking of frogs, there used to be a frog living here that we felt compelled to relocate. No particular reason why, but we called her "Irma" The first time I met Irma I thought at first that I had a pretty weird anomaly - an eight legged frog!. It turns out she was trying to eat another frog, and I caught her before it was too late. The second image is just before her free ride.......

What a story THAT turned out to be! Here's a tease........

And then the requisite "Pilot Frog"

 

[addy1]

Ok why is that frog sitting on the dash? Looks like an escapee!

 

[Timothy]

Ok why is that frog sitting on the dash? Looks like an escapee!

That's Irma! I have a fly lure that I filed the barb off the hook so I don't do any more damage than I have to, I dangle that in front of a frog, they take it, and I haul them up. Their body weight keeps them on the hook until I get them over a five gallon bucket then drop them in. They get off the hook none-the-worse for wear.
I had put Irma in the bucket with a couple inches of water and asked my wife to hold the lid on the bucket while I drove a quarter mile down a local lane to a nearby wild pond. On the way down the lane Irma jumped against the lid, startled my wife, who let go of the lid and out came the frog. It went around behind my wife's seat and around behind mine and while I was pulling over to the side I felt her climb across my left foot. I got a hold of one hind leg just as she was heading up behind the dash board. What to do? If I pull too hard and injure her she may die behind the dash. (Explain that to the repair guy!) She got up behind the dash and I turned the car off. I was afraid she may short something out and in the process electrocute herself, or at a minimum pee on something and short out the whole dash. We left all the doors open, I wrote a note and put it on the windshield in case someone came by. We know everyone down the lane so leaving it wasn't an issue. Then we walked home and had supper.
After we ate I went back down to the van to see if there was any evidence Irma had "left the premises". Of course I had no way of knowing, so just closed all the doors hoping for the best and started driving home. I was just about in the door yard when the top of the dash board started moving. The frog was so strong that when she pushed up, the clips that hold the dash pad down disengaged! I ran over to the wood pile and picked up a couple sticks of wood to hold the pad up so she could get out. The picture was just before she bailed out of the car and headed for the bushes.
The next morning guess who was back in the pond! She wasn't the smartest frog because she fell for the fishing fly trick a second time in two days. This time I put her in the hav-a-hart trap and took her back - again!
I haven't seen her since, but I'm sure she's telling a tale no other frog in that pond believes! I suspect her reputation has suffered, I mean what frog in it's right mind would believe that chain of events?

Sorry about the long post, but that's the way it happened.

 

[addy1]

Love the story! Good old Irma! She almost beat you!

 

[Mmathis]

@Timothy Now that story gave me a mental picture of Ma & Pa Kettle!

 

[Timothy]

Love the story! Good old Irma! She almost beat you!

She may yet! She could be lurking around just waiting for an opportunity! Thing is, she can't be "right"....I mean really, trying to eat a peer that's half her size? Something's wrong with her. Scary.

@Timothy Now that story gave me a mental picture of Ma & Pa Kettle!

I remember them! Guess we're dating ourselves! It was a comedy of errors and the folks down the lane I mentioned asked me whenever I saw them for days after how Irma was. When I started telling them she tasted just like chicken I got some strange looks!

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, hilarious story! Never quit telling your stories, Timothy! You do a very fine job of writing. Are you perhaps a writer on the side? We enjoy them, no matter what.

 

[Timothy]

Oh, hilarious story! Never quit telling your stories, Timothy! You do a very fine job of writing. Are you perhaps a writer on the side? We enjoy them, no matter what.

Thank you Country, I'm flattered, but no writing background. I am pleased when an anecdote may bring a smile to someone though.
My biggest problem is I feel like I'm living in a fifth grade playground scenario around here. It's exhausting matching wits with critters who's only motivation is their stomachs. Between a long drawn out battle with a coon who has since moved on, to the herons, both alive and "dead", to "Irma" and I'm sure her off-spring. It seems there's always some serious drama going on. A writer should invest in a pond for his/her story lines! A pond has it all - life and death struggles, eat or be eaten, procrastinate or procreate, and the endless need to protect ones territory............I humbly submit the following as evidence;