tadpoles progress

tiny tadpoles in the shishi odoshi on 7-21-11

the shishi odoshi tadpoles on 7-21-11

ponds A&B on 7-21-11

pondA on 7-15-
11

pond B on 7-15-11

some odd bubbles in the birdbath on 7-21-11-maybe new frog eggs?

I have not made time to update the frog blog, but have been taking pictures as they grow,  The ponds look so full  now.  I have been feeding the pollywogs cooked romaine, one day cooked collards and just lately added fish food flakes to their diet. Every day I simulate a rain shower in the ponds with our well water, which I also hope adds some new oxygen to the makeshift ponds.  There are a small number of tiny tadpoles in the shishi odoshi  and I have been feeding them as well.

The Frog Blog

My husband designed and built a shishi odoshi fountain this spring for our personal enjoyment.  We have lived  in this mountain area for four years. Now that we have the fountain we are seeing tree frogs for the first time.  I realize they have been living up in the tree tops all this time, but at breeding season they  seek a place with. water to lay their eggs.  So now they are drawn to the shishi odoshi and the males are calling like mad on our porch at night.

One of the Daddy Frogs

                                                                                I was excited the first time I saw the tadpoles in the fountain and looked forward to watching their progress, however they either disappeared or died. The fountain water gets too warm during the day, I believe, and there may be a lack of food to support them.  Maybe something ate them.

  At any rate the next time I saw that more eggs were laid I decided it best to dip them out  and place in a created pond where I can shade the water and provide food and shelter etc.

I have pictures  of the frogs that frequent the porch. Also of the frog eggs and their development.

May be a female gray tree frog?

Another picture of the tree frog

Tree Frog Eggs -1st day 7/8/2011 

Another view of Tree Frog that I think is female

Frog eggs in Pond A-1st day

Pond B-2nd day

Some things I have learned about the frogs since  I started to notice them on the porch is that only the males call out during breeding season, to attract a female.  When she comes to his call he will clasp her about the waist after they get in the water and will fertilize her eggs as she lays them.  She will croak once when she is through laying eggs and that signals him to let go.  This is the only time the female frog will make a sound.