My goldie went missing...

[greenthumbnails]

My goldie went missing this week.  I was out for a week and when I returned one of my small pond/tubs where I keep one of my goldies was crawling with new toadpoles.  I normally scoop them out when the eggs are just laid and before they can swim, and transplant them somewhere else where they are not competing with my goldie for the algae in my pond/tub.  Being that they are carnivorous I wonder if they might have ganged up on my goldie and ATE him!  The dwarf parrots feather and other hiding places shield him from feral cats and coons (if we have any) and there hasn't been any major disturbance in the pond to look like a cat or coon got him. 

[marla]

Sorry he's missing but I don't think the tads ganged up on him.  If not a cat, coon, or other mammel then I'd be looking for a large bird...did you check around the outside for the body?  Did you check the water really good, it's amazing how well the fish can hide.

[Julles]

Sorry to hear about that, Thumbnail.  I hate to loose fish, too, and it seems like sometimes they just up and disappear.  I agree, it must have been a bird.

I had to redo my baby turtle pen after the hurricane busted down my fence.  I made the pen escape-proof, I know.  But I have not yet been able to get a screen cover for it, so I only had three fairly large baby turtles in it, not the new hatchlings.  Yet, I am missing one of them.  The only thing I can think is that a cat or 'coon got in there and found it and made off with it.

Makes me so mad.

I hope your goldie is just hiding, and comes out in the open soon.

[LeeAnne151]

Tadpoles are vegetarian. Frogs and toads are carnivores.

If nothing was disturbed suspect a bird, snake, bullfrog.

Raccoons make a terrible mess.

Cats are not likely. Despite years of people feeding them fish cat food, they aren't natural fishers nor fish eaters. If the fish jumped out of the pond which does happen and was flopping around on the ground a cat could easily investigate but you'd likely still find the body.

[greenthumbnails]

Saw a possum rumaging in my recycle bin last night, trying to eat the dried cat food I threw out.  It was huge..about the size of a large cat.  In fact at first I thought it was a feral cat.  Maybe it was the possum?  I haven't seen any herons in my neighborhood (very urban area) though once in a while I see either an osprey or hawk (don't know the difference) perch up on a neighbors huge tree top. 

[LeeAnne151]

Opossums aren't predators, they are scavengers.

There are likely herons and kingfishers in your area even if it is really urban.