Frog sadness :(

[mmerry]

Our frog was happily hoping across our rain soaked patio about 3 weeks ago.  Hubby and I had to help him hop a little faster because we needed to let the dogs out.  We carefully guarded the grassy area he was frolicking in and went to bed for the night.  I checked in the morning and he was no longer there, so I had hoped he returned to the pond.  We haven't seen any signs of him now at all for the past 3 weeks.  He seems to have run away from home!!   :'(  Now I know "Fred" was a bullfrog which aren't the best with the fish... but is it worthwhile to investigate procuring a "Fred 2"?   I miss my frog!

[Kittyzee]

Bullfrogs seem to migrate from place to place:  hence the reason why they keep ending up in my pond from the creek in the pasture.  I'll let them stay for a while when they are small, but usually end up removing them to the farm pond down the road.  What does it for me is seeing my pet fishes tails hanging out of their mouths.  They can catch a free meal somewhere else and not eat my pets. 

[mmerry]

Somehow "Fred" and our fish co-existed peacefully.  They never appeared to be concerned when he was in the water or plants on the edge.  I think he even would occasionally hang out with them in their cave.  Maybe he wasn't a bullfrog after all....  or he was confused

[Kittyzee]

I know what you mean--my fish aren't concerned with frogs either.  This bullfrog in particular got so big he had the biggest fish in his mouth I had.  This fish was probably 8 to 10" long from tip to tail     The frog just hangs there suspended while the fish swim around his legs and then BAM he has one!  Don't get me wrong, I really like frogs--but if they are really big, I relocate them. 

BTW, I had a toad in my pond a few days ago--first time I ever saw that.  It was probably laying eggs in there.  I was concerned about posts where some fish die when eating toad eggs, but never had any casualties that I know of.   

[Sunbeam56]

Koi don't eat toad eggs. I guess they taste yucky.
They will eat frog eggs.

Bullfrogs are cannibals. They will eat any smaller frogs, and so you end up with only one large one in the pond.
They go "hop about" to find luv.

What would be more fun would be to get one of the giant bullfrog tadpoles and watch it grow out. 

[Esther]

I think the frogs do migrate around. They show up in my pond from time to time and the nearest river or swamp is about a half mile. I'll see them for a while and then they disappear.

[LeeAnne151]

Yes, they certainly do move around.

[frogman3]

Last year I had two adult bullfrogs the male traveled to the neighbors pond two doors down in the spring for several weeks. After failing to attract any females there he returned to one of my ponds where he called to my female for weeks before one night they both moved from separate ponds to the big pond and mated. The next morning I removed most of the spawn to safe areas where they hatched to my delight. This year I have hundreds of huge tad poles four inches in length with the main body being as big around as a silver dollar.  Sadly since they due prey on each other most will not survive till fall. I have for several years employed a bug zapper that hangs over the small pond where my female lives and must be quite happy with the banquet it provides. It's not unusual for frogs to travel on rainy nights seeking a less crowed situation or for foraging. Interested in seeing all they eat watch this National Geographic video. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/amphibians-animals/frogs-and-toads/frog_bull.html

[jax]

2 summer's ago I had a green frog show up at my pond.  I named her Fergie.  I swear the thing liked you to talk to her.  If I spoke, she would happily do some fancy croaking sounds.  When I stopped, she did too.  There were times I couldn't see her but if I talked or "called" to her out my window this happy croaking sound would start up and there she was.  To my belight, "Fernando" showed up by mid summer.  She still talked to me but did not give my new friend "Fernando" the time of day.  The next spring, yahoo, there they both were again.  I listened and talked all that season to her.  But come winter, my pond froze over entirely, and come spring all my nice fat fish were dead and I found Fergie and Fernando dead on the bottom.  I have been working hard on my pond since spring started.  I am hoping another frog shows up and enjoys the "digs" I have made for him/her.  I just don't need a bullfrog.  Hope someone shows up soon.  I miss the sound.

[Esther]

Jax, that is such a cute story. I can just hear the talking and croaking conversation. I had one that would get up in the Skippy which I thought was surprising seeing the top is a good 4' above the pond. We have a small flowering plum tree near the Skippy and that year was the year of Japanese Beetles. Because I was scared to spray the tree, so near the pond, I hung traps on it but there were still beetles. So I'd catch a few and feed them to Freddie. Then I discovered he wandered around a lot at night because in the morning, there'd be these good sized poops on the sidewalk and in the driveway that were filled with undigested beetle wings.

Usually I put a light out by the edge of the pond. One reason is so I can watch the fish at night out my dining room window and the other is to make sure anybody wandering around at night doesn't fall in. One night I saw Freddie sitting on the boardwalk by the light catching bugs along with Tiger my Koi who was good at catching bugs and always snagged the earthworms I threw in the pond. I thought that was pretty smart.