Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Someone in South Florida wrote recently with concerns about poisonous toads
around their new pond and their pets. I ran across this article that may help... http://petplace.netscape.com/article...tID=2752&cb=ns |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Thanks for finding that, Wayne.
Adding it to my links for future queries. http://petplace.netscape.com/article...tID=2752&cb=ns k30a yearly brother website posting http://www.30acreimaging.com/ |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
You're welcome. Thanks to all of you for your posts, because I have learned
a lot from them. "K30a" wrote in message ... Thanks for finding that, Wayne. Adding it to my links for future queries. http://petplace.netscape.com/article...tID=2752&cb=ns k30a yearly brother website posting http://www.30acreimaging.com/ |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Thanks Wayne, I was the one who posted the original question. The danger of
these toads to pets is well known here in S. Florida by most pet owners. The question I posted (and still don't have any answer to) is whether a pond will attract these toads or not. In other words, are my chances of seeing one of these toads in the yard any greater now that I have a pond, or doesn't it make any difference? In the 3 1/2 years I've been in this house I've never seen one before (which doesn't necessarialy mean they haven't been here, of course); perhaps it's just coincidental that I happened to see one now, shortly after I installed the pond. I'm not even sure if the one I saw was the poisonous type or not. It was fairly small (maybe 3'') and up in the overhang of my house, where I tore out a bad section of the soffit and hadn't yet replaced it. Not sure how it even got up there. Don |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 02:11:13 GMT, "Don"
wrote: Thanks Wayne, I was the one who posted the original question. The danger of these toads to pets is well known here in S. Florida by most pet owners. The question I posted (and still don't have any answer to) is whether a pond will attract these toads or not. In other words, are my chances of seeing one of these toads in the yard any greater now that I have a pond, or doesn't it make any difference? In the 3 1/2 years I've been in this house I've never seen one before (which doesn't necessarialy mean they haven't been here, of course); perhaps it's just coincidental that I happened to see one now, shortly after I installed the pond. I'm not even sure if the one I saw was the poisonous type or not. It was fairly small (maybe 3'') and up in the overhang of my house, where I tore out a bad section of the soffit and hadn't yet replaced it. Not sure how it even got up there. Don Sounds more like a Grey Tree Frog, rather than a toad up that high. Bufo Marinus is hard to miss when you see them, large aggressive critters. If you leave Dog Food out doors you will find out in a hurry if they are around! As for the pond attracting them, it depends is there good cover near by, lots of insects and small critters for them to feed on then yes it will attract them, but not simply because of the water but the complete habitat and food resources it provides. Dave Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey Southeastern Lower Michigan 42° 35' 20'' N, 82° 58' 37'' W GMT Offset: -5 Time Zone: Eastern |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Dave:
Thanks for the reply. It may very well have been a tree frog - it was small and didn't look menacing at all. I think I also read that bufo toads are not terribly fast, and this little guy was gone in a flash. I never have dog food outdoors - it would attract bugs and in this heat, would probably go bad very quickly anyhow. There is a good amount of foliage near the pond where a toad could find cover. However, there aren't many bugs around - I spray the yard periodically to prevent fleas and ticks and that also keeps the ants and other pests under control. No small critters either, just the occasional squirrel. I did find a new batch of eggs in the pond on Saturday, so someone is definitely visiting. My yard is fenced in though, so unless a bufo can jump or climb over a 6' fence I'm not sure how they would get in. There may be a few small gaps here and there but there's no large openings for anything too large to crawl under. If I find eggs again, is there any easy way to tell if they are from a bufo or a tree frog (which I assume are harmless). The little tadpoles I found a week or two ago were chomping on the water lilies, if that's any indication one way or another. Thanks. Don |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Check these sites for info on our local amphibeans:
http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/fro...pictorial.htm# A lot of them have recordings of the calls that they make, too. Lee "Don" wrote in message news:EYnVa.4713$Ho3.1124@sccrnsc03... Dave: Thanks for the reply. It may very well have been a tree frog - it was small and didn't look menacing at all. I think I also read that bufo toads are not terribly fast, and this little guy was gone in a flash. I never have dog food outdoors - it would attract bugs and in this heat, would probably go bad very quickly anyhow. There is a good amount of foliage near the pond where a toad could find cover. However, there aren't many bugs around - I spray the yard periodically to prevent fleas and ticks and that also keeps the ants and other pests under control. No small critters either, just the occasional squirrel. I did find a new batch of eggs in the pond on Saturday, so someone is definitely visiting. My yard is fenced in though, so unless a bufo can jump or climb over a 6' fence I'm not sure how they would get in. There may be a few small gaps here and there but there's no large openings for anything too large to crawl under. If I find eggs again, is there any easy way to tell if they are from a bufo or a tree frog (which I assume are harmless). The little tadpoles I found a week or two ago were chomping on the water lilies, if that's any indication one way or another. Thanks. Don |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Lee:
Thank you, that was very helpful. I think the creature in my pond most closely resembles the Florida Gopher Frog, or maybe the Southern Toad. If it comes back, I'll have to pay more attention to the sound it makes. I assume that only adult females can lay eggs, so this would be too small to be a bufo anyhow. I'd say this one was roughly 4" long. Don |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Thanks Wayne, I was the one who posted the original question. The danger of
these toads to pets is well known here in S. Florida by most pet owners. The question I posted (and still don't have any answer to) is whether a pond will attract these toads or not. In other words, are my chances of seeing one of these toads in the yard any greater now that I have a pond, or doesn't it make any difference? In the 3 1/2 years I've been in this house I've never seen one before (which doesn't necessarialy mean they haven't been here, of course); perhaps it's just coincidental that I happened to see one now, shortly after I installed the pond. I'm not even sure if the one I saw was the poisonous type or not. It was fairly small (maybe 3'') and up in the overhang of my house, where I tore out a bad section of the soffit and hadn't yet replaced it. Not sure how it even got up there. Don |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 02:11:13 GMT, "Don"
wrote: Thanks Wayne, I was the one who posted the original question. The danger of these toads to pets is well known here in S. Florida by most pet owners. The question I posted (and still don't have any answer to) is whether a pond will attract these toads or not. In other words, are my chances of seeing one of these toads in the yard any greater now that I have a pond, or doesn't it make any difference? In the 3 1/2 years I've been in this house I've never seen one before (which doesn't necessarialy mean they haven't been here, of course); perhaps it's just coincidental that I happened to see one now, shortly after I installed the pond. I'm not even sure if the one I saw was the poisonous type or not. It was fairly small (maybe 3'') and up in the overhang of my house, where I tore out a bad section of the soffit and hadn't yet replaced it. Not sure how it even got up there. Don Sounds more like a Grey Tree Frog, rather than a toad up that high. Bufo Marinus is hard to miss when you see them, large aggressive critters. If you leave Dog Food out doors you will find out in a hurry if they are around! As for the pond attracting them, it depends is there good cover near by, lots of insects and small critters for them to feed on then yes it will attract them, but not simply because of the water but the complete habitat and food resources it provides. Dave Dave Fouchey, WA4EMR http://photos.yahoo.com/davefouchey Southeastern Lower Michigan 42° 35' 20'' N, 82° 58' 37'' W GMT Offset: -5 Time Zone: Eastern |
Poisonous Toads and Your Pet
Dave:
Thanks for the reply. It may very well have been a tree frog - it was small and didn't look menacing at all. I think I also read that bufo toads are not terribly fast, and this little guy was gone in a flash. I never have dog food outdoors - it would attract bugs and in this heat, would probably go bad very quickly anyhow. There is a good amount of foliage near the pond where a toad could find cover. However, there aren't many bugs around - I spray the yard periodically to prevent fleas and ticks and that also keeps the ants and other pests under control. No small critters either, just the occasional squirrel. I did find a new batch of eggs in the pond on Saturday, so someone is definitely visiting. My yard is fenced in though, so unless a bufo can jump or climb over a 6' fence I'm not sure how they would get in. There may be a few small gaps here and there but there's no large openings for anything too large to crawl under. If I find eggs again, is there any easy way to tell if they are from a bufo or a tree frog (which I assume are harmless). The little tadpoles I found a week or two ago were chomping on the water lilies, if that's any indication one way or another. Thanks. Don |
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