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foodfiend_gardener

The toads are singing! But.... :(

I was so surprised to hear them trilling away on Sunday afternoon, a full 5 days than last year (and it has been such a horrid winter, I thought that they would be "late"). The weather has been quite warm, in the 70's and low 80's, but tomorrow the temps will not rise above 50, and down to 23 tomorrow night. Does anyone know what the toads will do? Will they leave the pond and dig under mulch/ leaves/ etc. to wait for warm weather to return?

I so love their "music". And it really is music to my ears, after such a cold winter that seemed to go on forever! I did some flower bed cleaning this afternoon and watched them alternately climb on the rocks lining the pond and "sing", then float around on the water's surface. We only ever have 3 or 4, and I don't know what happens to the tadpoles, but these little guys are a delight. :)

Comments (7)

  • riverbottom
    9 years ago

    You have frogs. Toads have live birth, frogs have tadpoles. Frogs sing, toads only croak when you step on them at nite, at least around here.
    They all estivate under dirt and mulch when it gets cold

  • foodfiend_gardener
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ah, but they are toads. A friend who used to work in the herpetology department at the Pittsburgh Zoo confirmed it for me. We also have green frogs in our pond, but they won't appear here for a couple of more weeks.

    When I say that the toads are singing, I mean that they are doing that trilling-voice thing to attract females. It's a wonderful, spring-has-finally-arrived sound! :) After they mate, then they are silent until next year.

  • frankielynnsie
    9 years ago

    The American toads in my yard lay strings of eggs and have tad poles. They have been singing for 2 weeks on the warmer nights. We keep having a few colder nights and they are quiet. I have more toad babies than ever.

  • foodfiend_gardener
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm jealous, frankielynn, but you are in a warmer climate so I will look forward to their serenades after this cold snap passes.

    We used to have loads of tadpoles, loads of little guys hopping around, but not so much in the past couple of years. I did take a closeup photo of one last year, and I placed a penny beside him to show scale. :)

  • Joecd
    9 years ago

    I have 8 and I thought it was the greatest thing. This is the first spring for our pond. After two nights of this singing my family and I are ready to catch all eight and relocate them! They are so loud right under our windows! They have laid many strands of eggs in our bogs. I have some goldfish, minnows and crayfish that can get into the bogs. Will they eat the eggs? How long until the eggs turn to tadpoles and then to frogs?

  • frankielynnsie
    9 years ago

    They are very loud :c) I have a little 50 gallon outside of our bed room and they have been very busy there. I have the most toad poles ever in all of my little water pots and bigger pond. I have seen the cricket frogs in the big pond so I hope they will lay some eggs-they are so tiny. They sound like marbles clacking together. The first time we heard them we couldn't figure out what kind of frog it was but found the little guy with the flashlight and looked him up. The only thing I dread is if a bullfrog hears the water fall and comes to my pond. Any other kind of frog is welcome.

    I have seen my bigger goldfish eat young toadpoles. When they get big they spit them back out.

    We had a frost yesterday/this morning and it is suppose to get down to 37 tonight so we are having late frosts this year. What weird weather this whole last year.

  • foodfiend_gardener
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    We've had our 1,200g pond for about 10 years now, and I am always so happy to see the frogs and toads return. :) I am not sure how long it takes for the eggs to hatch into tadpoles, though. It seems as though there are hundreds of tiny toads hopping all over the patio, then suddenly they are gone.