I'm going to be a mom!!!

[shakaho]

You don't have to worry about the fish eating your toadpoles. Toads are all toxic to some extent and taste nasty, even as tadpoles, Most fish will eat just one, or more likely grab one and spit it out. Be forewarned that your babies will return "home" to spawn. And they will all sing at once.

 

[michey1st]

The thought of them coming back is GREAT news! With moving them, I wasn't as worried about the fish trying to eat them as I was about the general turbulence in my lower pond. Mom decided to lay them right in the base of my waterfall and who knows where they would have ended up if they stayed there! Now, they are in a sheltered spot in the middle pond (out of the currents) and sucking away at some submerged rocks and plants.

I also noticed yesterday that all of my string algae has disappeared! I suspect it's a combination of hungry tads, trapdoor snails, and the plants sucking all the nutrients out of the water. Earlier this month, I had GOBS of string algae sticking to EVERYTHING (had to clean the cage around the pump 2x per week at least)... now? It's all gone! WHOOPIE!!!!

 

[addy1]

I had eggs under the waterfall, in the still water, in the bog, in the small ponds, they seem to lay them everywhere/anywhere. I have tads in the big pond, little pond, bog, stock tank filter, some also in the deck pond, stream ..............in other words everywhere.

 

[michey1st]

My motherhood journey continues! The tadpoles are getting bigger by the day and chowing down on everything in sight (no little legs that I can see yet, though), and this morning, I spied fresh eggs in the middle pond. Judging by the noise last night, these ones are probably from some frisky frogs that popped in for a visit. Those amorous amphibians sure didn't waste any time!

 

[addy1]

I know our toads and tree frogs have laid eggs, but the green frogs don't think so yet. No sighting of huge egg masses which is what they leave behind.

 

[michey1st]

Judging by the noise, these guys were tree frogs. They were back last night again... hopefully they will stick around for a little bit! Hopefully the neighbors don't mind... lol!

 

[addy1]

Neighbors can't complain................it is nature.

 

[piscesmoon]

Congratulations they are so cute!

 

[Sunshine]

Congrats !!

 

[j.w]

Neighbors can complain about anything. They complained about my friends cow mooing too loud. The cops just laughed. This is farm country

 

[michey1st]

Toad taddies are starting to sprout legs! Unfortunately, their numbers seem to be dwindling =( Not sure what could be getting them... The fish seem to be leaving them alone (and the taddies are too big now for my little feeder fish anyway). Could it be our nightly tree frog visitors? The other night we had 4 of them making quite the ruckus for a few hours.

 

[j.w]

I think frogs might eat other frogs or little toads, anything they can fit, just survival of the fittest again and if all your tads survived you might be overrun. I thought toads had a funny taste tho to stop predators from eating them.

 

[michey1st]

Moment of panic today... got home from work and was doing my usual walk-around. ALL the taddies were gone =( Then, I spied movement next to the rush that @addy1 gave me, and a TEENY TINY TOADIE scampered out (like, less than 1/2 inch). He was SOOOOOO small, and sooo cute! I had no idea how incredibly tiny they would be. Sadness that I didn't have a camera with me >.<

So, color me silly, but I think my toads grew up and wandered off! I'm shocked how quickly they transformed... 2 days ago, they were still very tadpole-esque save for a few with legs. Then today... all gone!

 

[addy1]

lol They are darn cute! Mine have all been getting legs and leaving, all 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size, now the green frogs are dropping eggs that will stay as tads until next summer.
The spring peepers are all hopping back to the woods, around 1.5 inches in size.

A lot of tads gone! but new ones being created

 

[michey1st]

Here's one of the little cutie patooties! I'm calling off the lawn mowing this weekend until they get some better legs and find some good hiding spots. I'm sooooo paranoid I will step on them!