Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Wildlife Wednesday: A Toadly Adventure

My task was to replace a dead/dying plant in the barrel planter when......Hello there!  We seem to have a bit of a standoff.  Gulf Coast toad, Bufo nebulifer, common in most of Texas.   A female since her throat is not pigmented with yellow.

"Was it you who drank all the Jack Daniels out of this barrel?"

"What's going on here?"  Adorable and beneficial in the garden since they devour insects.  Bufo nebulifer has a defined "V" indentation between the eyes.

Optical illusion of soil appearing in the "V" between her eyes.

"A new plant right here?  This spot is taken."


I think I know the answer.  Her look was one of confusion since she had just been tossed out of a bucket of potting mix toted from the porch about 10 yards away.  A long hop back for a toad so I coaxed her into the bucket and returned to the porch.


Happy to be home, she immediately hopped out (before I could even tip the bucket) and took off for the safety of a nearby planter.


A few minutes later, while watering plants along the nearby front walk I spotted another, smaller toad.  They are clearly happy in this part of the garden and I am happy to have them.


Be sure to check out Tina's post at "My Gardener Says..." to follow more Wildlife Wednesday stories.

3 comments:

  1. Sweet! I'm always happy to find toads in the garden, too. Happy Wildlife Wednesday!

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  2. Oh, those are darling shots, the first and second one especially! When I first went outside yesterday morning, it was still dark, but the waterfall at my pond was quiet. Later, I pulled a dead toad (sniff) out of the pump mechanism. That's only happened one other time in the decade that I've had the pond. Glad your little dude is happy and healthy.

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  3. Your toad definitely projects personality. I'm glad you're willing to accommodate her (and her friend). I've always had a particular fondness for toads and frogs, although I haven't seen either in any of my gardens for decades. My current garden is ruled by Western Fence Lizards. I can't walk 2 feet without having one skitter across my path.

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