A new strategy for toads!

[pigeonseed]

I saw something new in the garden today!

When I was weeding round the base of a tomato plant, the earth shifted in a way that definitely meant an animal was under there - I brushed aside some soil and had a look and it was a toad!



It's still out there now.

That tomato plant suffers from snails climbing up the wall and eating the ripe tomatoes - I never have eaten one yet! And I'm guessing that the toad is helping me out a bit there.

Clever don't you think? Toads must observe the habits of their food, and then plan their hunting strategies.

 

[saddad]

I wish my frogs were such quick learners... I think I have "remedial" ones... 

[pigeonseed]

oh dear!

Well toads are very common while frogs are becoming rarer - maybe frogs should take note of their bumpy cousins

[thifasmom]

toads are more common? i have never seen one, only got frogs around here but i'll take what i can get

[1066]

Toads are great aren't they! We have several in our garden and I love watching them, if you sit outside after some rain in the early evening you can watch them crossing the garden, it gets quite busy out there at times.

A couple of years ago I had a similar surprise and found one had half buried itself in a pot with a geranium.

Saw a frog yesterday on my plot - the 1st I've seen up there so very pleased to know they have found my plot 
1066

[pigeonseed]

Yes they waddle about all over the place. A large one with sort of leopard skin markings sits near our back door every night now - I presume catching some insects or slugs.

But the toad in the hole hasn't returned to his hole - I hope I didn't spoil it for him/her!

I've never been lucky enough to have toads or frogs before, and I really like them.

[1066]

Yes they waddle about all over the place. A large one with sort of leopard skin markings sits near our back door every night now - I presume catching some insects or slugs.

The larger ones are (usually) the females, when you see a smaller one with darker colouring they will be the males. We're planning a small pond in our garden so they can spawn 

But the toad in the hole hasn't returned to his hole

    

1066

[pigeonseed]

That's nice to know, I didn't know how to tell male and female ones apart.

[angle shades]

  I love toads, have loads on my lottie of all different ages and sizes,they refuse to use the log piles and shady safe places I have made for them,

they prefer to go in my greenhouses which bake during the day and live in my tomato and melon grow bags, I also have newts in my tomato pots which are quite high... can they climb? / shades x

[thifasmom]

I love toads, have loads on my lottie of all different ages and sizes,they refuse to use the log piles and shady safe places I have made for them,

they prefer to go in my greenhouses which bake during the day and live in my tomato and melon grow bags, I also have newts in my tomato pots which are quite high... can they climb? / shades x

wow! you are lucky.

[GrannieAnnie]

Yesterday I found one in my walk-in coldframe, nice and fat and must have been finding enough bugs somehow to stay alive. There is no water in there which concerns me so I tried to catch him to carry him out but no luck.

[angle shades]

  they only need water to breed  in GrannieAnnie it must like it in your coldframe / shades x

[1066]

Angle Shades - I love the story about the newt! I only tend to see them when I uncover or move something around on the plot.

[angle shades]

1066  my newt is still in my tomato pot, she comes out and looks at me when I pick the toms, she's in the Gardeners Delight pot,every time I pick a tomato I'm scared others will fall and squish her / shades x

[1066]

aawwww 

[Digeroo]

I have lots of toadlets on site, thought they might be frogs but they are getting more toadlike by the day. 

But I have never seen a newt out of water.  That is great.  Can you put some kind of cover across the top of the pot to stop the tomatoes falling on the newt.

[angle shades]

  Nancy the Newt was missing today ;but doesn't appear to have been squished by a Gardeners Delight / shades x

[pigeonseed]

I don't know what Nancy's up to.

Yesterday I found a small toad (maybe the ex-tomato one) in the compost heap, buried under compost and another large speckled one strolling around under the squash plants (just stretching its legs)

I wonder how many there are, and I think it's a shame that, if I keep on taming the garden, there'll be less space for them. (there's loads of dense bindweed and dock plants)

I think it will have to be done gradually, so until the garden plants get large, I'll keep some large weeds.

[1066]

here's wishing Nancy all the best in her new life and location 

PigeonSeed - the toads in our garden seem to find all sorts of dark/damp corners to hide in, never quite sure where exactly they overwinter. But then our garden is certainly not pristine!!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I sometimes find them hiding under the mulch. Toads don't seem to mind bare soil as long as they've got a hiding place. Frogs don't like being away from thick vegetation.