What does a toad eat in nature? Useful inhabitants of the garden
People's rumors are unfair to them. From time immemorial, man has persistently spread rumors that the toad is a despicable and even dangerous creature, that one touch to it is fraught with, at a minimum, a wart and, at a maximum, death. Meanwhile, it is difficult to find an amphibian on Earth that would bring such obvious benefits to humans as the earth toad.
Description of the earth toad
Range, habitats
Ground toads choose damp places to live, but not necessarily near water bodies. They only need water to spawn.
Important! Due to the diversity of species, the habitat of earth toads is almost everywhere. These amphibians are found on all continents. The only exception, for obvious reasons, is Antarctica.
The rest of the time, toads prefer damp cellars, freshly dug, still wet soil, crevices in the mountains, low thickets of grass in floodplains, and rain forests. But! There are species that live in both steppes and arid deserts.
Ground toad diet
The main dish of the regular toad menu is insects.. She happily adds snails, worms, caterpillars, and centipedes to them. Does not disdain insect larvae and spiders. This not very picky glutton is not embarrassed by the bright, warning colors of some insects or their unusual appearance. The earth toad is an excellent and very effective assistant to humans in the fight against agricultural pests.
A true nurse of crops, a night guardian of the harvest. In one day, one ground toad eats up to 8 g of insects in the garden! Large species of ground toads are capable of obtaining lizards, snakes, and small rodents for food. Toads reflexively react to moving objects, but are poorly able to distinguish movements in one plane, such as vibrations of grass.
Toads - what kind of animals are they? Photos of toads, a description of these tailless amphibians and the most interesting facts about toads in our article. We will also answer the question: “Are toads and frogs the same animal? or still not?
Who is this toad? This question is often answered incorrectly, because few people know that real toads are not frogs, tree frogs or toads, which are so similar in appearance to toads.
Science has now determined that toads are representatives of the family of round-tongues (genus of the midwife toad) and the family of true toads. In total, there are about 304 species of these animals on Earth.
The appearance of toads is typical of all representatives of the order of tailless amphibians. These amphibians have a rather large head, their limbs are located not under the body, but on the sides. The body itself of toads has a flattened shape. Unlike “long-legged” frogs, the limbs of toads are relatively short. Males on their front legs are naturally endowed with small protuberances - tubercles, or nuptial calluses (they are necessary to hold the female during mating).
The size of toads can vary from 2.5 centimeters in length to 27 centimeters. The weight of these amphibians also varies widely: from several grams to one kilogram. Male toads are always smaller in size compared to females.
The skin of toads, and this is another significant distinguishing feature, is covered with warts. Toads also have parotid glands called patroids. By nature, toads are endowed with a unique property: their skin and patroids are capable of secreting mucus, which can not only protect the skin from drying out, but also save the animal itself from the enemy (since the mucus is often poisonous).
If you touch a frog, warts will appear: is this true? According to scientific research, this is a myth, since the appearance of warts is provoked by a virus, which clearly does not arise due to the unattractiveness of toad skin.
As for the color of toads, most often these animals have inconspicuous tones: brown, black, grayish. There are noticeable spots on the body. But this rule does not apply to tropical toads, which are also very poisonous. These amphibians can have skin in a variety of bright shades: red, orange and others. Such flashy colors warn the enemy that he himself may get hurt if he wants to taste the toad.
Where do toads live?
These amphibians are distributed throughout the world, with the exception of the Australian continent and Antarctica. The exception is artificially introduced into the territory of the Green Continent and nearby islands. In nature, toads most often choose river backwaters, rain forests, swamps - that is, damp and not too hot places. Sometimes trees can serve as a home for a toad.
During the winter, these animals hibernate, climbing into a secluded place: under fallen leaves or in natural shelters.
What does a toad eat?
The toads' main diet consists of insects and their larvae, worms, mollusks (snails), and fish fry. Larger species of toads allow themselves to feast on small rodents, young snakes and lizards.
Reproduction of toads
Males attract females with the help of reproduced sound effects, the so-called singing. The existing vocal sacs in males are capable of amplifying the sound significantly so that the future chosen one can definitely hear it.
Frogs are cute little critters that make unusual and useful pets. However, there are quite a few species of frogs that require some care. Use this article as a general guide to choosing and caring for pet frogs, but be prepared to do a lot of in-depth research on the specific frog species you choose.
Steps
Part 1
Choosing a pet frog-
To get started, check out some suitable frog breeds. The first thing to understand when it comes to frogs is that there is a huge variety of species available. Some of them are easy to take care of, while others will require a lot of time and specialized knowledge to take care of. If this is your first frog pet, we highly recommend that you choose the right breed for beginners. Here are some options:
- African dwarf frog. This is a great option for beginners because these frogs are small, active and easy to care for. They do not require live food or constant exposure to water.
- Far Eastern toad. These frogs are a good option for beginners who want a terrestrial (not aquatic) frog. They are quite active and do not grow too large.
- Coral tree frog. This white tree frog is perhaps the easiest tree frog to handle. These frogs are active, easy to feed and even handle from time to time (which is unusual for frogs).
- Pacman. They are large, terrestrial frogs that are easy to care for. They tend to be fairly sedentary, which reduces their space requirements, but this can make them a boring pet for children.
- As a beginner, you should avoid poisonous frogs or toads, which are also expensive. Poisonous frogs tend to be quite fragile and require difficult care, while more expensive frogs are a risky choice for people who are new to caring for them. It is better to start with an inexpensive, simple breed and gradually work your way up.
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Do not keep wild frogs as pets. While it is possible to catch wild frogs to keep as pets, there are a few things you should pay attention to first.
- First, it can be difficult to determine what type of frog you have caught. Different species of frogs have very different requirements in terms of food, temperature and habitat, so if you keep a wild frog in the wrong conditions, it may die.
- If you decide to take a frog from the wild, be sure to take into account the environment in which you found it. Perhaps it was a leafy, grassy area, or perhaps a frog was hiding under a rock or swimming in a pond? Such conditions will most likely need to be created for her at home.
- However, you should still try to determine the exact species of your frog by searching for a picture of it on the Internet, studying information in books about frogs, or consulting a local naturalist. This will help you determine the exact content requirements.
- Second, many species of frogs found in the wild are on the verge of declining populations or even extinction. Taking a frog from the wild can harm its wild population, especially if it is an endangered species.
- In fact, taking a protected species from the wild is illegal in some areas, so be sure to check your country's laws before bringing a frog home.
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Consider the size of the frog and the amount of space it needs. The size of your frog (once mature) and the size of the tank to house it are the main factors when choosing a frog.
- Sometimes, tiny frogs at the pet store grow into giant monsters. For example, elves (a species of frog whose name suggests diminutiveness) initially reach only 2.5 cm in length, but can then grow to more than 20 cm.
- Large frogs require a lot of space. For example, a fully grown frog will require a 75 liter aquarium or even larger. If a frog lives in a small aquarium, it may be unhappy and sick.
- Large aquariums take up a lot of space in your home and require a lot of effort to keep clean. These frogs also eat more food, making them more expensive to feed than smaller frog species.
- This is another reason to do your research and find out the exact breed of frog before you buy one.
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Let's consider the requirements for feeding a frog. Before you jump headfirst into buying a cute (or ugly, depending on your preference) frog from the store, you should take the time to find out what it eats.
- Most species of frogs happily eat crickets, worms (such as red wigglers and night crawlers), and other creepy critters. However, it is important to remember that frogs generally prefer live food, especially if you are squeamish about this sort of thing.
- Large frogs often require more substantial food, which may include mice, goldfish, or guppies. Providing your frog with this kind of nutrition requires you to be prepared to do a lot of work, and it's not for the faint of heart!
- Additionally, you need to consider where you will get your frog's food from. Your local grocery store probably doesn't carry live crickets! Do you have a large pet supply store nearby where you can buy everything you need for your exotic pets?
- Of course, it is possible to find food for a frog in the back garden, but this can be quite time consuming and very unreliable. Additionally, garden pests are often treated with chemicals, which will be harmful to your frog.
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Find out how active your frog species is. Another important factor is the activity level of your frog species. This is especially important if you want to get a frog for children, as most children want an animal to play with.
- Many large, cold or unusual looking frogs are a popular choice among first time frogs, however these frogs tend to be the least active and simply sit still like a statue and sleep throughout the day. It can get boring pretty quickly.
- If you are looking for a more active frog species, it is better to choose small frogs, aquatic and some arboreal frogs, as they often jump or swim, making them more interesting to watch.
- You should also keep in mind that even the most active frogs won't do anything other than jump around or eat crickets. You can't take a frog for a walk, teach it tricks, or do anything else with it. So it's important to decide for yourself whether a frog is the perfect pet for you (or your child).
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Understand that keeping a frog at home is a commitment. It is important to understand that caring for her is not the same as caring for a goldfish. Most frogs that are well cared for can live up to 25 years.
- Therefore, you must be prepared to care for your frog for many years, feeding it, keeping it clean, and taking care of it when it is sick.
- You should also think about what to do with it during your holidays, and who will take care of it while you are away. It can be quite difficult to find volunteers willing to do this, especially if your frog only eats live crickets or even mice!
- If you get a frog but find that caring for it is too much work or too much expense, you need to know the channels through which you can get rid of it.
- If you choose a wild frog from your yard or local park, you should be able to release it in the same area where you found it. Leave the frog as close to its original location as possible, whether it was under leaves on the forest floor or next to a stream.
- However, if you bought a frog from a store and it is not a native species, you cannot simply release it into the wild. You will need to take the frog back to the pet store, sell it to a new owner, donate the frog to a local school animal park, or contact your local animal care organization.
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Find out if you need a license. In some places, you are required to have a license to keep a certain type of frog as a pet, especially if it is endangered or poisonous.
- Contact your local government office for more information about licensing requirements in your area.
Part 2
Your frog's home-
Find out what type of tank your frog needs. Different species of frogs require very different houses, so do your research before purchasing one.
- Ground tanks are the simplest frog "houses" but should only be used for frog species that live in dry environments.
- Water tanks. This type of "house" is used only for purely aquatic species of frogs, mainly in aquariums with water, the same as aquatic fish gardens.
- 50/50 is the most common type of frog house, where half is filled with water and the other half is dry. Most frogs will do well in this environment.
- The tree tank is designed specifically for tree frogs that prefer to climb branches. These tanks are typically taller and narrower than other types.
- Pond. In some situations, you may be able to keep native frog species in a pond in your yard. Sometimes a simple backyard pond will attract native frogs without you having to specifically catch them! However, you should never keep non-native species in open water as they can disrupt the local ecosystem by feeding on native frogs and other endangered insects.
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Place the tank in a suitable location. If you have a tank, you must decide where to put it.
- You should always keep the house out of direct sunlight as this can increase the temperature and make the house uncomfortable (and possibly dangerous), dry and hot inside.
- The "house" should be kept away from the kitchen, as smoke and other gases from cooking can be harmful to the frog.
- You should also be careful not to expose the tank to any aerosols (such as paint in the garage or hairspray in the bedroom), as these can penetrate the frog's skin and potentially affect its health.
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Fill the “house” with the correct material as a backing. The underlayment is the material used to cover the bottom of the house. The key here is to determine whether the substrate should be wet or dry and how easy it is to clean.
- Gravel is a good option for most common frog species. It is easy to clean and easily available in a variety of colors and sizes. Other good options include soil, pine bark, sand, and cedar or pine shavings.
- Once the backing materials are in place, you can install the decorations inside! You can cover the gravel with a layer of moss, which will make the "house" look much more natural. Just make sure the moss is damp by sprinkling it with clean, fresh water as often as you can, and remember to keep an eye on its shape.
- Placing several stones inside the “house” is also a good option, as this will give the frog something to climb on. Just make sure the stones don't have sharp edges that could injure her.
- You can also decorate the "house" with plastic plants or small live ones, while a hollow container will provide a good hiding place. Buy or make a colorful backdrop for your tank, such as a rainforest, as this will help keep the frog feeling at home.
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Find out your frog's temperature and light requirements. Temperature and heating requirements for frogs vary greatly depending on the species, so make sure you do your research before setting up your frog house.
- Unlike lizards, snakes and turtles, most frogs do not require any special lighting as they obtain the required amount of vitamin D through their food.
- However, it is necessary to provide a light source for up to 12 hours per day, especially if the "house" does not have access to natural light.
- A fluorescent light is the safest option for frogs as it doesn't get too hot. Hot lights can be dangerous if a frog decides to jump on them.
- In terms of heating, the ideal temperature for your frog will depend on its species. The easiest way to change the temperature inside the tank is to change the temperature of the entire room.
- You can also purchase heat lamps (which should be placed on the outside of the house) or a heated pad (which can be wrapped around the outside of the house) to raise the temperature inside.
- If you need to heat water in all or part of the “house”, you will need to purchase a glass tube or a fully submersible water heater.
- Make sure you can run the heater for a couple of days before putting the frog in the house. This will allow you to control the temperature. Make sure that this is the best way for the frog.
Part 3
Feeding and caring for the frog-
Feed the frog crickets (and other creepy critters). As mentioned above, the most common species of frogs eat crickets, worms and other insects, and larger frogs will also eat mice or goldfish as an occasional treat.
- How much and how often to feed a frog will depend on each frog individually and may initially be determined through trial and error.
- To start, try feeding your frog three crickets a day. If she eats all three quickly and appears hungry over the next few days, you can increase the number of crickets. However, if she only eats one or two and ignores the others, you can reduce the dose.
- You can also experiment with different types of food, such as mealworms, waxworms and grasshoppers, to see what your frog likes best. Aquatic frogs typically eat frozen bloodworms or Artemia.
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Keep your frog clean and hydrated. It is very important to provide your frog with clean water every day for drinking and bathing.
- Frogs absorb water through their skin rather than drinking. As a result, they spend long periods of time just sitting in their water baths or pools. This water should be dechlorinated if possible.
- You'll also need to clean out the "house" every couple of days to remove any droppings, wipe down the bottom of the tank, check for mold or algae, and maintain a healthy environment.
The lake frog is a representative of another group of frogs - green, or water frogs.
They spend almost their entire lives in water, are predominantly green in color and do not have a dark temporal spot. The lake frog is the largest, most abundant and widespread species of this group.
The lake frog is the largest in Russia
This frog is the largest one found in our country. Its length can reach 15 cm. The color of the upper side of the body is very diverse, most often it is all kinds of shades of green, but there are also gray and brown frogs. Large, uneven dark spots are scattered throughout the body. Often there is a light stripe along the back. The ventral side is light, usually with dark specks or spots. Males are somewhat smaller than females, and they have resonators.
Range of the lake frog
It is widespread east of Central Europe to Iran and Eastern Kazakhstan. In Russia it is common to the southern borders of the European part, to the east it reaches the Urals, in Southern Siberia - to Baikal; There are isolated populations in the upper reaches of the Irtysh and Ob. In the north of the European part of Russia, the border of its range lies in the area of the middle reaches of the Western Dvina and the upper reaches of the Kama.
The lake frog inhabits a variety of bodies of water in almost any biotopes (from northern forests to deserts). It is found in small ponds and large lakes and rivers. It can even be found in mountain streams and cave lakes. She prefers open, well-lit water spaces with abundant aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation. It also inhabits artificially created reservoirs - canals, reservoirs. It is not afraid of human proximity and is found even in large cities. In favorable habitats, the number of lake frogs can be stunning: sometimes on the shore they sit side by side in whole clusters, and the water surface is simply strewn with big-eyed faces sticking out of the water.
The lake frog is a heat-loving species. It can be active at ambient temperatures up to +40°C; it has been found in hot springs with water temperatures from +35 to +40°C. Lower temperature limits of activity: air up to +14°C and water up to +8°C. At lower temperatures, frog activity stops.
Lifestyle
Active lake frogs are usually found during the day, but their activity continues at dusk and at night. During the day they can be spotted in the water or on the shore, although this can be quite difficult. In water, frogs are almost invisible, since they are usually hidden under plants floating on the surface and only protrude their nostrils and eyes. They sit on the shore, basking in the sun, completely motionless; spotted or brown coloring perfectly camouflages them on the ground and among plants. Possessing perfectly developed vision and hearing, the frog carefully monitors all movements around and reacts to the slightest shaking of water or soil. In case of any danger, it dives with lightning speed, swims a considerable distance underwater and hides in the mud or under objects lying at the bottom. Like a good diver, she can stay under water for quite a long time, and then carefully emerges in a completely different place. In this case, the tip of the muzzle and eyes appear first, and only after making sure that there is no danger, the frog returns to its original place.
What does the lake frog eat?
Although lake frogs spend most of their time in the water, they often forage on land. When hunting on land, they do not move further than a few meters from the water. These rather large frogs with huge mouths are real voracious predators. They can swallow another smaller frog, a small lizard or snake, a chick, or a mouse. In the water, the lake frog will, on occasion, certainly grab a fish, a newt or its own tadpole. However, the basis of nutrition for this species, like other amphibians, is made up of various invertebrates: worms, mollusks, millipedes, crustaceans and numerous insects. The lake frog often captures flying insects - flies, butterflies, dragonflies, when they land somewhere nearby. The sticky tongue, “thrown out” a few centimeters, helps the frog to grab such mobile and cautious prey. If a dragonfly or fly lands at a greater distance, then the hunter slowly creeps up to it. The lake frog is also an excellent jumper and can catch a flying insect in a jump, or can very accurately “land” on the place where the victim is sitting and grab it with lightning speed.
Reproduction of lake frogs
Heat-loving lake frogs begin breeding much later than other species of amphibians, when the water temperature rises to +12+18°C. Eggs are laid in the same reservoirs where frogs live constantly, so they do not make special migrations to breeding sites. But they are still removed from their “home” places, since they gather in groups to reproduce. Males form quite large clusters and “sing” in chorus. Unlike brown frogs and many other tailless amphibians, the loud calling “singing” of lake frogs is heard during the daytime. Males make sharp short signals like “uh-uh”. Like males of other species, they are not very picky and can embrace not only their female, but also any animate or inanimate object floating nearby. It happens that two or four males grab one female with their front paws at once. This is no longer a marriage couple, but a whole “marriage ball” floating slowly and randomly in the water. A large female can lay up to 12 thousand eggs, up to 10 in one clump or in several portions.
Tadpoles are born after 3-18 days. They are lighter than the tadpoles of brown frogs and do not form clusters; soon after hatching they spread throughout the entire reservoir. Like adult frogs, tadpoles are active mainly during the day, and at night they lie down on the bottom, hiding under stones and among plants. They feed mainly on algae, and to a lesser extent on the smallest aquatic animals (protozoa, rotifers), as well as blue-green algae. The population density of lake frog tadpoles can be impressive: in the lower reaches of the Volga they numbered up to nine thousand per cubic meter. The tadpoles of the lake frog grow faster than the larvae of other amphibians. Two to three months after hatching, before metamorphosis, their length reaches 7-9 centimeters. The baby frogs that appear after metamorphosis are much smaller - their body length is 1.5-2.5 centimeters. Sometimes tadpoles that have not had time to undergo metamorphosis remain in the reservoir for the winter and the next year can reach enormous sizes - up to 18.5 centimeters. Perhaps the phenomenon of such gigantism is associated with hormonal disorders in their body.
Young frogs can reach sexual maturity in the year following metamorphosis, but more often this occurs at a later age - at two to four years. In nature, lake frogs live up to eleven years.
Where do lake frogs spend the winter?
Animals usually hibernate underwater, burrowing into silt and bottom debris. Sometimes they get hidden under the banks overhanging the water, or accumulate in depressions in the ground. In some places, frogs overwinter in rodent burrows, for example, in the deep (up to 180 centimeters) gerbil burrows built in wet sand. In the south of their range, in non-freezing and relatively warm water bodies, they are active all year round.
As already noted, the lake frog is an indiscriminate predator, but it, in turn, has a lot of enemies. And these are not only such obvious predators as fish, snakes or water birds, but also gray monitor lizards and freshwater crabs. In addition, it, like all green frogs, is used for food by humans. Frog legs (hind legs) are considered a delicacy; they taste like poultry. Large size and high numbers make the lake frog a real commercial species.
While weeding your beds, you have probably more than once come across frogs unexpectedly jumping out from under your feet, or fat, clumsy toads hastily crawling to the side. Some people are disgusted by these animals. Meanwhile, frogs and toads, with their tireless hunt for any small harmful creature, bring invaluable benefits to your garden.
Let's take a closer look at their life and activities and maybe you will even develop sympathy for these amazing creatures.
Frogs and toads belong to amphibians, that is, their life is closely connected with water, but some species as adults live and hunt only on land. Among the inhabitants of our gardens, two types of frogs are most often found - grass and sharp-faced.
The grass frog has a gray-brown or brown back with multi-colored spots, a light belly with dark spots.
Of the toads, the two most common types are: the gray or common toad, with a dark brown back, and the green toad - the back is light gray with large green spots.
The tadpoles hatched from eggs lead a completely fish-like lifestyle, breathe through gills, and feed on algae.
Adult frogs and toads eat animal foods. In search of food, they go quite far from the water, sometimes 1.5-2 km, but they return only to their native body of water to spawn. By what signs they find the right path still remains a mystery. Scientists tried to move the toads to someone else's pond, but the proximity of water did not tempt them and they stubbornly went in search of their own pond. There were even cases when a pond was covered with earth for some reason, and still in the spring frogs and toads gathered there, and one could see them sitting on the ground in complete confusion, like people who found ashes on the site of their home .
Although frogs live on land, and sharp-faced frogs and green toads, better adapted to dry air and high temperatures, live even in steppes and semi-deserts, the characteristics of their body indicate a close connection with water.
The frog has lungs, but they are poorly developed, and it breathes not so much with its lungs as with the entire surface of its body. For some time, a frog can live without lungs at all. She breathes through her skin both in air and in water. Experts checked how long a frog could sit in the water without surfacing: it turned out that the toad lasted about 8 days, and the grass frog about a month.
In order for the skin to transmit oxygen well, it must be thin and always moist. This is why frogs living on land prefer damp habitats. During the day they hide from the heat under leaves and grass, and go hunting at dusk or at night. Water easily evaporates through the thin skin, cooling the surface of the body, so the frog always seems cold. Indeed, her body temperature is always several degrees lower than the ambient temperature. Not only air, but also water penetrates through the skin. The frog does not drink water with its mouth. To get drunk, it is enough for her to swim in the dew or press her belly to the wet earth.
Like all cold-blooded animals, the frog is characterized by reduced energy metabolism. Not only the lungs are poorly developed, but also the heart. Food is digested very slowly. A beetle that gets into the stomach of a frog remains alive for more than an hour. Since frogs do not have their own internal “stove,” their activity is very dependent on air temperature. At temperatures below 10°C, they barely move at all. Therefore, you can imagine how difficult it is for frogs in winter, because they die at a temperature of -1°C.
Grass frogs overwinter in bodies of water that do not freeze to the bottom, burrowing into the bottom silt. All processes at this time are slowed down, the blood barely flows, but, nevertheless, growth does not stop and the maturation of the reproductive elements continues in order to be ready for spring. The sharp-faced frog winters on land, huddled under snags, stones, leaves, in mouse and mole holes. Toads also spend the winter on land, often climbing into the basements of houses for the winter. Winter hibernation lasts from 150 to 200 days, depending on the duration of the cold period. In winter, most of the frogs and toads die, by spring only 2-5% remain.
And yet, despite the reduced energy supply, frogs are excellent hunters. Their reaction to the appearance of prey is exceptionally fast and accurate. A special role in this is played by the eyes, which are called thinking eyes. And for good reason: the frog reacts only to moving objects. Stationary food does not make her want to hunt, and she may starve when surrounded by stationary insects.
It is used to destroy pests on sugar cane plantations and is specially imported to those areas where this crop is widespread, for example, to the Hawaiian Islands and the island of New Guinea. In some cases, the sugarcane harvest depends solely on the activity of the aga toad. Our toads are inferior to them both in size and in gluttony, but nevertheless their usefulness for the garden is so high that in some European countries they have become a market product, and if desired, a gardener can buy himself a toad at the market.
Frogs eat insects, but they themselves are eaten without mercy by larger animals. For example, frog and toad eggs and tadpoles are destroyed in large quantities by fish and snakes, and even a large lake frog living in the water will not refuse to grab a tadpole swimming by. On land, frogs also have many enemies. They are eaten by birds and almost all mammals, including minks, hedgehogs, otters, foxes, and badgers. Frogs are hunted by 92 species of birds, and toads by 18. Toads have some protection - skin poison glands, but this is not a barrier for owls, rooks, raccoons, and badgers. Frogs constitute the main food of snakes and vipers, not to mention the birds living near the water - herons, gulls, cranes.
When there are few rodents, foxes and wolves begin to hunt frogs. Only their high fertility saves frogs and toads from complete destruction. One female lays, depending on the species, from 2 to 4 thousand eggs. At the beginning of summer, when young frogs and toads come to land, the number of amphibians increases tens of times, but in the spring of next year, as noted, only 2-5% of all this abundance remains. In fact, most frogs and toads die after they, having reached sexual maturity, fulfill their main duty to nature - lay eggs. In captivity, where nothing threatens, a frog can live 18 years, a toad - 35 years.
And yet the main enemy of frogs and toads is man. No amount of fertility can save you from it. Drainage of swamps, plowing of floodplain lands and, finally, the use of pesticides lead to the rapid and complete disappearance of many species of amphibians. In Switzerland and Germany, almost all species of amphibians are on the verge of extinction and are under protection: it is forbidden to kill, catch, sell, or collect them. Fortunately, we haven’t run out of frogs yet and are briskly jumping around our beds. They do not require any special attraction measures, as for birds. But still, they will feel more comfortable in your garden, and therefore hunt more actively, if the plants in the beds are planted so close that their leaves form a continuous canopy above the ground, under which reigns the damp, cool twilight, so loved by frogs and toads.
If you come up with the now fashionable idea of making an artificial pond on your site, do not forget about frogs when determining its size and populating it with vegetation. Regardless of the area of your pond, it is recommended to make its bottom according to certain rules. On one side, the bottom should have several ledges that smoothly descend to the deepest part of the pond. The opposite wall is made vertical. The maximum depth of the pond should be at least 90-100 cm, so that in this place the water does not freeze to the bottom and some species of frogs can overwinter there. The ledges and bottom are made strictly horizontal so that dead plant debris is evenly distributed over their surface and gradually rots without the formation of toxic gases that can poison the inhabitants of the pond. The uppermost, i.e., shallowest ledge is planted with marsh vegetation; this is the favorite place to stay for pond frogs living in the water. Shrubs and tall grasses are placed on the opposite bank of the pond so that frogs living on land can take refuge there during the heat of the day. You can even make artificial shelters on the shore for their overwintering by placing small piles of stones and brushwood.
If you can accomplish all this, then your soul will be at peace: you have done everything possible for your frogs. Now it's up to them
N.M. Zhirmunskaya
Stories about nature. Episode 3. Toads - life in water
Series of messages "Useful inhabitants of the garden. N.M. Zhirmunskaya
2 Useful inhabitants of the garden. Birds in the garden. N.M. Zhirmunskaya
3 Useful inhabitants of the garden. Jerzy. N.M. Zhirmunskaya
4 Useful inhabitants of the garden. Shrew - do not confuse it with a mouse! N.M. Zhirmunskaya
5 The enemies of our enemies are our friends N.M. Zhirmunskaya
6 Useful inhabitants of the garden. Ants are a hardworking people. N.M. Zhirmunskaya
7 Useful inhabitants of the garden. Frogs and toads. N.M. Zhirmunskaya