i want a small pond just so i can have somewhere for toads to lay eggs and tadpoles to grow--can i just use a small half barrel or something like that --i guess it would need to be put into ground so toads can get into it to lay eggs--i would love to use plants and not bother with a filter or just use a solar one--any advice
how small can i go
Interesting question. Hope someone can answer it! Found a site giving instructions on what frogs need when creating a pond:
http://www.loudounwildlife.org/HHFrogPond.htm
'Construction
You can make the pond any size you like but the depth should be between 40 and 80cm. Stepped sides let you grow plants which like different depths of water'.
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/better-homes-gardens/526/a-pond-for-frogs/
thanks--i went to the first site you listed and was glad to have an article about creating a spot for frogs--even tho i am going for toads--i like the idea of the 3 levels and one deeper for hibernation--something to think about for my son who will be building the pond i think
Toads are not swimmers, so deep water will drown them. I hate it when I see kids trying to 'rescue' a toad by tossing him into a pond repeatedly as he tries to get out ~~ same thing for box turtles - land animals both. Toads do not hibernate in ponds, they make burrows in mud or sand or under leaf litter.
Texas Toads (Bufo speciosus) keep from drying out by burrowing in mud or sand, inhabiting gopher burrows, and taking refuge beneath rocks and in mud cracks.
Toads do not need standing water all year round. They breed in the spring in vernal (springtime) pools, puddles, and ponds. When it rains they go for the puddles! So really all you need is a saucer or two of water like a mud puddle that does not dry up.
Shallow is best with a sloping edge. Yours likely have already bred for the year. But they do not need standing water except to breed.
Depending on your area, any sort of cool/shady place under a plant or broken pot will attract a toad. Some like to burrow in sand to keep cool on the hottest days.
Ask your local wildlife center about the best way to attract them into your yard.
well i knew some about toads not being water animals but thought the tadpoles need water so that they must have a water source--i forgot that they hibernate in the ground--i have box turtles living in our yard for years and years! i have lots of places toads would like and lots of mosqitioes for them! now i need to get the toads! thanks for posting all that useful info
Yes, toads lay their long strands of eggs in the water, and then leave. They do not live in the water themselves. The tadpoles will hatch in a day or 2, then develop and become land dwellers themselves. Toad eggs are in long black strands, frogs usually float on the surface. Fish will eat frog tadpoles, but not toad tadpoles.
i wonder how long the toads take to leave the water? if i didn't want to use a pump i maybe could use those mosquito blocks you can put in water to keep them out but would that hurt the tadpoles?
Mosquito dunks do not harm fish, frogs, or birds. They're very safe. In warm water, it only takes a few days for the eggs to hatch, then the tadpoles will last a month or so, get hind legs, and then leave a few weeks after you see that.
thanks! i am planning to transplant some adult frogs and hope they like their new home--just read last night that frogs and toads are having a hard time (like so many other animals) and need more folks to make their yards toad/frog inviting!