Tadpoles and Frogs/Toads
 

I've had Wodehouse toads "orgying" every year by my pond
(http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/aug/papr/wtoad.html). The brick sides on the
pond have always kept them out, but I believe this year one pair must have
made it past the castle walls. I have hundreds of tadpoles, all small and
black and not identifiable as to species. They may be frogs for all I know.
Down here in New Orleans there are so many types of critters around they
could be anything. The koi don't seem interested in nibbling them either.

Does anyone know the "attrition" rate of tadpoles to toads? I hate the idea
of culling the masses, but I can't deal with so many, and neither can the
pond filter. How many will make it to froghood?


Michael Fermanis
New Orleans, Louisiana USA (Remove the RICE to reply)
================================================== ===========

Tadpoles and Frogs/Toads
 

Toad tadpoles turn quicker to toadlets than frogs do to froglets. So that is
good news. Also depends on temperature and food available.
Can they get out now that they've gotten in? You don't want a bunch of drowning
toadlets, what a mess!
If they are toad tadpoles the fish are leaving them alone because they taste
bad. They'll try one and spit it out.
Look at one closely. A toad taddie has a whip like black tail. A frog tadpole
has a fine membrane of skin around its tail, almost translucent in some.

You can try netting them out into a kiddy pool filled with pond water and pond
slime. Or give them organic lettuce to feed on. They may or may not make it,
jammer's did not make the transition, so if yours do let me know.

Toads are a popular food of hognose snakes and skunks.

good luck!

k30a

Tadpoles and Frogs/Toads
 

Okay, this seems as good a time as any to ask this "newbie" question: Do
goldfish eat tadpoles? Would a frog eat toad tadpoles? The local Fowler's
(?) Toads only come to my little wee 3' pond at night; but they make up for
their brief attendance by making a lot of noise! OTOH, when the frog was
there, she(?) would hang around day & night. When I had the first major
algae bloom a few weeks ago, I made a mental note to to watch out for the
tadpoles when I emptied out the pond & refilled it. However, the next day,
there were no tadpoles to be found. What happened to them?

Since it's a teeny water garden, I use a Little Giant pump, so I don't think
the tadpoles were getting sucked into it, nor was there any sign of them
when I cleaned the foam filters (although I did see things that may be
"blood worms" as mentioned in another thread here). Also, the goldfish
never seemed to eat the tadpoles before -- either that, or there were just
lots of tadpoles to go around! I know that some of last year's froglets
managed to get out of the pond (I keep bricks on the plant shelves so the
toads & frogs can get out), but they must have been prodigious jumpers! It
was pretty amazing to see things that looked like perfect little frogs, but
maybe only 3/8" long!

Thanks,

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC


"MLF" wrote in message
...

I've had Wodehouse toads "orgying" every year by my pond
(http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/aug/papr/wtoad.html). The brick sides on
the
pond have always kept them out, but I believe this year one pair must have
made it past the castle walls. I have hundreds of tadpoles, all small and
black and not identifiable as to species. They may be frogs for all I
know.
Down here in New Orleans there are so many types of critters around they
could be anything. The koi don't seem interested in nibbling them either.

Does anyone know the "attrition" rate of tadpoles to toads? I hate the
idea
of culling the masses, but I can't deal with so many, and neither can the
pond filter. How many will make it to froghood?


Michael Fermanis
New Orleans, Louisiana USA (Remove the RICE to reply)
================================================== ===========

Tadpoles and Frogs/Toads
 

Do
goldfish eat tadpoles?
~ yes
Would a frog eat toad tadpoles?
~ not as likely to, they taste bad.
However, the next day,
there were no tadpoles to be found. What happened to them?
~ probably eaten.

Tadpoles are snack food for lots of critters.
Dragon and damselfly nymphs, any number of other aquatic insect larva, snakes,
bullfrogs, fishing spiders, water skeeters, fish, birds.
Newly hatched tadpoles will spend all their time clinging to surfaces under the
water absorbing their yolk sacks, so they kind of disappear for a while.












k30a