??? wrote
Today I found a frog in my greenhouse, I know I said toad in the
header but I saw that some troll was posting headers with the word
"frog" in them and I thought some of you might be deleting all
messages with "frog" in the header. By the way, why is this troll
spoiling this group, what has upset him?

I use http://news.individual.net/ and haven't seen any troll stuff.


Anyway, I found a frog in the greenhouse. Am I right that I should
welcome such visitors? I think I was told that they eat slugs, is that
right?

Yes.

I am surprised because a greenhouse is supposed to get hot, you would
think frogs would prefer somewhere cold and wet, but then again, isn't
it cold and wet all year in the UK

Well when I went out to the greenhouse (min 50°F) a couple of days ago there
was a Toad waiting by the door, I opened the door and in he hopped like he
knew where he was going.

--
Regards
Bob
In Runnymede, 17 miles West of London

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:

Well when I went out to the greenhouse (min 50°F) a couple of days ago
there
was a Toad waiting by the door, I opened the door and in he hopped like he
knew where he was going.

There was a resident toad in my father's greenhouse for years. It used
to get a bit restless if we found no pests to sacrifice on the alter
before his hole.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Bob Hobden wrote:

??? wrote
Today I found a frog in my greenhouse, I know I said toad in the
header but I saw that some troll was posting headers with the word
"frog" in them and I thought some of you might be deleting all
messages with "frog" in the header. By the way, why is this troll
spoiling this group, what has upset him?

I use http://news.individual.net/ and haven't seen any troll stuff.


Anyway, I found a frog in the greenhouse. Am I right that I should
welcome such visitors? I think I was told that they eat slugs, is that
right?

Yes.

I am surprised because a greenhouse is supposed to get hot, you would
think frogs would prefer somewhere cold and wet, but then again, isn't
it cold and wet all year in the UK

Well when I went out to the greenhouse (min 50°F) a couple of days ago there
was a Toad waiting by the door, I opened the door and in he hopped like he
knew where he was going.

We've had toads resident in our garden, since we moved in 5 years ago.
We rarely see them but their favourite residence seems to be the compost
bins - plent of worms and slugs, guess. A week or so ago, my wife
discovered a toad sat on top of the waste in one bin. As she was adding
material, she carfully moved the toad to a shaded corners of the garden
and topped up the compost bin. The following weekend, she took the lid
off the bin and there was a toad, sat in the middle, on top of the fresh
waste.
--
Larry Stoter

The message k
from (Larry Stoter) contains these words:

We've had toads resident in our garden, since we moved in 5 years ago.
We rarely see them but their favourite residence seems to be the compost
bins - plent of worms and slugs, guess. A week or so ago, my wife
discovered a toad sat on top of the waste in one bin. As she was adding
material, she carfully moved the toad to a shaded corners of the garden
and topped up the compost bin. The following weekend, she took the lid
off the bin and there was a toad, sat in the middle, on top of the fresh
waste.

On a big-game (snail) hunt a couple of weeks ago I was shiing my torch
on some perpetual sweet peas and was surprised to see a very alert toad
sitting on the front room windowsill (outside!).

It must have climbed the cotoneaster to get there.

A few days later I found a small frog scaling the runner beans. If its
name was Jack I'll never know, 'cos I didn't kiss it to see if it
changed into anyone.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from contains these words:
On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 01:27:33 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

On a big-game (snail) hunt a couple of weeks ago I was shiing my torch
on some perpetual sweet peas and was surprised to see a very alert toad
sitting on the front room windowsill (outside!).

How do they eat slugs

No idea, they are rather private creatures, so I've never seen one
noshing a slug.

and how do they manage the shells on snails?

AFAIK they don't eat snails, BICBW

I
thought frogs were supposed to have long tongues to grab flies from
out of the air? Wouldn't you need some force to put against the slug
"glue" that holds them tightly to the leaf?

I wasn't implying that the toad and frog were hunting snails and slugs -
I was hunting snails, which come out much more at night than during the
day.

The toad may have been after insects which are attracted to the window,
though there wasn't any light showing from inside. I just wonder how he
knew, or how he found out.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from contains these words:

On Wed, 19 Oct 2005 01:27:33 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

On a big-game (snail) hunt a couple of weeks ago I was shiing my torch
on some perpetual sweet peas and was surprised to see a very alert toad
sitting on the front room windowsill (outside!).

How do they eat slugs and how do they manage the shells on snails? I
thought frogs were supposed to have long tongues to grab flies from
out of the air? Wouldn't you need some force to put against the slug
"glue" that holds them tightly to the leaf?

? Slugs don't attach tightly. Snails attach rather tighter, because
their slime dries out and I suppose that creates a slight vacuum inside
the shell.

Both frogs and toads can grasp hard with their arms and forefeet .
You'll see ponds full of male frogs riding active , swimming females
that way during the mating season. Toads are muscular enough to dig
holes for themselves. So both would be quite strong-armed enough to
wrestle a slug into submission.

Janet

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

snips ...
The toad may have been after insects which are attracted to the window,
though there wasn't any light showing from inside. I just wonder how he
knew, or how he found out.

I've always tended to view amphibians as rather limited in the neural
department. However, the more I watch frogs, toads and newts in my
garden, the more impressed I am.

For a start, they definitely have a fairly well developed mental 'map'
of the garden. The 'know' where the pond and half-barrel are, the toads
apparently also 'know' where the compost bins are.
--
Larry Stoter

Larry Stoter wrote:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
snips ...

The toad may have been after insects which are attracted to the window,
though there wasn't any light showing from inside. I just wonder how he
knew, or how he found out.

I've always tended to view amphibians as rather limited in the neural
department. However, the more I watch frogs, toads and newts in my
garden, the more impressed I am.

stare

For a start, they definitely have a fairly well developed mental 'map'
of the garden. The 'know' where the pond and half-barrel are, the toads
apparently also 'know' where the compost bins are.

Don't you know?! They have a french nose off course shrug