 |
|
|
Posts by cyba: |
| Author | Message |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11  View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 10 Aug 2004
Topic: strange habitat
Hi I live in a victorian ground floor flat conversion, in Brighton (East Sussex) where I have a very small back yard, which backs onto a hill (about a 20foot sheer wall) and is completely enclosed on the other three sides, rather like a squash court. I have seen in this rather cool and damp area at least six frogs and two toads. I think the toads are common toads but they seem rather pale, and although they do walk around I have seen them jump. Is this normal? The frogs look like common frogs, but some of them appear very skinny, with pronounced hip-bones(?), hollow sides, and are quite a vivid greeny-yellow colour. Is this within natural variation or are they a different species? Or have they been breeding in isolation so long that they have started to mutate? There is no standing water in my yard so I usually leave some rainwater in a dish for them to lay their spawn in and then take the froglets down to our local pond when they have their legs. Is this the best thing to do? Should I consider making a water feature for them? Lastly does anyone have any ideas how they could have got into my yard in the first place? I first thought they had come up the drains, but on reflection think they either fell in, or came in via a rain of frogs (and toads)! |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 10 Aug 2004
Topic: What about the weather!
My frogs and toads have been out all day. I've photographed some of them and will post up when their developed (I'm still inhabiting th world of analogue cameras!) |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 11 Aug 2004
Topic: strange habitat
I have lost a couple who fell down the drain, and I only realised when I noticed the smell :-( They definitely can't get out of my yard unless they've discovered how to levitate ;-) |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 17 Aug 2004
Topic: strange habitat
I don't think they are starving. They look healthy and are pretty active, especially the toads. Having done some more research, i think I have four frogs and four toads. One of the toads is huge, and is probably a female. I have seen the toads jump, though, and had been told that they don't jump which confused me. Can I put food out for them? If so what would they like? |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 17 Aug 2004
Topic: strange habitat
good point, Donny. I was trying to describe their shape but they do look pretty much like the pictures I've seen on the internet. Also I've been confusing the toads and frogs, because I was told that toads don't or can't jump, but I have seen some of them jumping, so I thought some of the toads were frogs, and those were sort of fat and baggy-looking (the toads) The frogs are nice and shiny have bright eyes and seem to hop around with energy, so i guess they are ok. The only dead ones i've found were trapped in the drain so they aren't dying off. I've also become very fond of them all and would miss them if I removed them. I know thats a very selfish reason for not wanting to move them :-/ |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 19 Aug 2004
Topic: strange habitat
I was just collecting my laundry off the line, and evicting a frog that had got into my kitchen, and I saw a newt! I had seen two newts when I first moved in but as I hadn't seen any for years had assumed they had "moved on". It was about three inches long very thin with the tiniest delicate little feet and an orange stripe under its belly. I thought newts lived more in the water? Still I'm delighted to have a newt too! |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 22 Apr 2005
Topic: Fate of Frogs Spawn in Temporary Pools?
Hi again everyone! I wrote here last year about my unusual frog and toad situation (I have 5 frogs and now 3 toads and possibly 2 newts in a very small water-free back yard enclosed on all sides by 16-20 foot-high walls). I usually let the tadpoles develop in a trough or other receptacle until they are virtually fully formed then take them down to the local pond, as there are lots of huge municipal carp there who would easily make a meal of my little guys. I thought this would give 'em a bit of a head start? |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 23 May 2005
Topic: What are these tadpoles?
I had my usual crop of frog spawn early this year, but it looked like they had all died, so I stopped checking them in my "water feature". As I was putting out my washing this morning I noticed, much to my surprise, that the water was heaving with taddies! They are big, about 1.5 inches long with a very wide tail. They are speckled dark grey on top, and paler speckled grey on their bellies. Their bodies are eggshaped, but have no sign of legs yet. I'm not sure if they are frogs, as I have toads and newts in my garden too. Can anyone identify these? I'm really happy though, as i thought I'd missed out this year!  |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 23 May 2005
Topic: What are these tadpoles?
It would be cool if my toads bred, but I'm still dead chuffed to have frog taddies and so many, and so healthy-looking! |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 27 May 2005
Topic: Herp Poo !
!bump! My herps live in an extremely isolated backyard, so the poop that I regularly find must belong to either common frogs or toads. In fact a frog crapped on my hand when I was trying to remove it from my kitchen ... I washed with soap and water and got no infection. You still want pix? |
|
cyba Member Joined: 10 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 11 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 27 May 2005
Topic: strange habitat
UPDATE: The backyard is looking like Jurassic Park at the moment, full of huge lush self-set ferns, and much to my surprise I have a plastic trough full of taddies! I thought they had all died off, but they are looking extremely vigorous. When their back legs appear I will take 'em down to the local pond. I now seem to have 3 toads, one very small, so must be a baby(?) One frog died, wih no obvious cause of death which worried me 
 |
- Posts by cyba |