mystery of exploding toads solved!

[kathy]

Well, this probably isn't a problem that many
of us face but....
if you find exploded toads next to your pond
you can blame the crows.
It seems the toads are puffing up in self defense
and the crows have figured out if you puncture
a puffed up toad you can catch the liver
on the way out.
Tricky birds.
Whole story is
http://ihmp.net/@/xs
or
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/germanytoadsoffbeat

[Reel McKoi]

"kathy" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Well, this probably isn't a problem that many
> of us face but....
> if you find exploded toads next to your pond
> you can blame the crows.
> It seems the toads are puffing up in self defense
> and the crows have figured out if you puncture
> a puffed up toad you can catch the liver
> on the way out.
> Tricky birds.
> Whole story is
> http://ihmp.net/@/xs
> or
> http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/germanytoadsoffbeat
======================================
The toads we have here in TN don't puff up when caught. They will urinate
on you though.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>The toads we have here in TN don't puff up when caught. They will urinate
>on you though. McReel

So you're saying our toads have figured out the crows ploy? ;) ~ jan

~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~

[Koitoy]

kathy Wrote:
> Well, this probably isn't a problem that many
> of us face but....
> if you find exploded toads next to your pond
> you can blame the crows.
> It seems the toads are puffing up in self defense
> and the crows have figured out if you puncture
> a puffed up toad you can catch the liver
> on the way out.
> Tricky birds.
> Whole story is
> http://ihmp.net/@/xs
> or
> http://tinyurl.com/drq9l

Thanks for the link. I had heard about this and was wondering what
would cause something like this.


--
Koitoy

[Reel McKoi]

"~ jan JJsPond.us" > wrote in message
...
> >The toads we have here in TN don't puff up when caught. They will
urinate
> >on you though. McReel
>
> So you're saying our toads have figured out the crows ploy? ;) ~ jan
>
> ~Power to the Porg, Flow On!~
=========================
I think so! :-)))

I wonder if the crows get WARTS from the toads....
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Andy Hill]

"kathy" > wrote:
>Well, this probably isn't a problem that many
>of us face but....
>if you find exploded toads next to your pond
>you can blame the crows.
>It seems the toads are puffing up in self defense
>and the crows have figured out if you puncture
>a puffed up toad you can catch the liver
>on the way out.
>
Probably the fava beans next to the toads that gave it away ;-)

[[email protected]]

In >, on 04/28/05
at 07:53 PM, ~ jan JJsPond.us > said:

>>The toads we have here in TN don't puff up when caught. They will urinate
>>on you though. McReel

>So you're saying our toads have figured out the crows ploy? ;) ~ jan

I still don't have any toads. :(


Alan

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[Derek Broughton]

wrote:

> In >, on 04/28/05
> at 07:53 PM, ~ jan JJsPond.us > said:
>
>>>The toads we have here in TN don't puff up when caught. They will
>>>urinate on you though. McReel
>
>>So you're saying our toads have figured out the crows ploy? ;) ~ jan
>
> I still don't have any toads. :(

I didn't think I did either. At the head of our harbour, they've had spring
peepers now for over a week, but we don't have them on the coast, yet. But
last night when I took the dogs out for a walk I had to pick up a 6" toad
off the road. He seemed a bit cold and sluggish, and the road wasn't a
good spot to spend the night (though I'd almost certainly be the only
person to use it before noon today), so I put him in the ditch.
--
derek

[Reel McKoi]

"Derek Broughton" > wrote in message
...
> I didn't think I did either. At the head of our harbour, they've had
spring
> peepers now for over a week, but we don't have them on the coast, yet.
But
> last night when I took the dogs out for a walk I had to pick up a 6" toad
> off the road. He seemed a bit cold and sluggish, and the road wasn't a
> good spot to spend the night (though I'd almost certainly be the only
> person to use it before noon today), so I put him in the ditch.
=====================================
I wonder what's going on with the frogs and toads this year!!?!?!?! We
heard spring peepers one night for a few hours. It sounded like only a few,
not the hundreds and hundreds we'd usually hear for several nights in a row
(in the neighbor's stock pond). Then the same thing in our own ponds - we
hard a few frogs for maybe a week, then nothing. All the other years the
noise level out there was incredible.
Where are the toads? I saw one and as you described, it was "sluggish."
Could there be some frog/toad disease out there, possibly spread from some
imported amphibious pets?
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>

[Derek Broughton]

Reel McKoi wrote:

>
> "Derek Broughton" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I didn't think I did either. At the head of our harbour, they've had
> spring
>> peepers now for over a week, but we don't have them on the coast, yet.
> But
>> last night when I took the dogs out for a walk I had to pick up a 6" toad
>> off the road. He seemed a bit cold and sluggish, and the road wasn't a
>> good spot to spend the night (though I'd almost certainly be the only
>> person to use it before noon today), so I put him in the ditch.

> I wonder what's going on with the frogs and toads this year!!?!?!?! We
> heard spring peepers one night for a few hours. It sounded like only a
> few, not the hundreds and hundreds we'd usually hear for several nights in
> a row
> (in the neighbor's stock pond). Then the same thing in our own ponds - we
> hard a few frogs for maybe a week, then nothing. All the other years the
> noise level out there was incredible.
> Where are the toads? I saw one and as you described, it was "sluggish."
> Could there be some frog/toad disease out there, possibly spread from some
> imported amphibious pets?

Not in my case. We've rarely had temperatures in the 50s, here. It's
exactly 50F right now. So when I saw that toad at around midnight it was
getting close to freezing. That's going to make any toad sluggish :-)

I heard three peepers last night. It's a bit depressing to even be able to
cont them, but there'll be more when it's warmed up a bit. The ones at the
head of the harbour are in plentiful voice.
--
derek

[Reel McKoi]

"Derek Broughton" > wrote in message
...
> Reel McKoi wrote:
>
> >
> > "Derek Broughton" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> I didn't think I did either. At the head of our harbour, they've had
> > spring
> >> peepers now for over a week, but we don't have them on the coast, yet.
> > But
> >> last night when I took the dogs out for a walk I had to pick up a 6"
toad
> >> off the road. He seemed a bit cold and sluggish, and the road wasn't a
> >> good spot to spend the night (though I'd almost certainly be the only
> >> person to use it before noon today), so I put him in the ditch.
>
> > I wonder what's going on with the frogs and toads this year!!?!?!?! We
> > heard spring peepers one night for a few hours. It sounded like only a
> > few, not the hundreds and hundreds we'd usually hear for several nights
in
> > a row
> > (in the neighbor's stock pond). Then the same thing in our own ponds -
we
> > hard a few frogs for maybe a week, then nothing. All the other years
the
> > noise level out there was incredible.
> > Where are the toads? I saw one and as you described, it was "sluggish."
> > Could there be some frog/toad disease out there, possibly spread from
some
> > imported amphibious pets?
>
> Not in my case. We've rarely had temperatures in the 50s, here. It's
> exactly 50F right now. So when I saw that toad at around midnight it was
> getting close to freezing. That's going to make any toad sluggish :-)

$$ This is true. However it was a warm afternoon when I came across the
sluggish toad. It was in a flowerpot on my porch.

> I heard three peepers last night. It's a bit depressing to even be able
to
> cont them, but there'll be more when it's warmed up a bit. The ones at
the
> head of the harbour are in plentiful voice.

$$ That's good to hear. I can't imagine what's happened to these critters
where I live. Even the plant pools behind the house, usually with a few
frogs each, are quiet. Perhaps when the nights get warmer here more will
show up.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
~~~ }<((((o> ~~~ }<{{{{o> ~~~ }<(((((o>