Snowflake Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 So, while I was AWOL... Andrew and I decided to "raise" us up some frogs! He and Gramma found a VERY LARGE 'puddle' (18" deep in the middle, about 20' long) on a walk and he told me about all the tadpoles they had seen... Out we went with a margarine tub to collect a few (eight) and see if we could keep 'em alive and watch the transformation... Free pollywogs, $7 goldfish bowl, $2 fish food, $.59 gallon of water...learning/bonding experience, priceless... The questions have already begun about gills/lungs, tails/no tails, no legs/legs...looks like some major 'Net surfing for info on frog life cycles... HOW FUN! My mother (now goes by "Gramma") never let me collect 'em, good thing he asked ME about it and not her - now we can BOTH experience it for the first time... I sure do love the ickiness of spring! Had my rubber boots on out in the muck....and boy, did we STINK after our forays into the "swamp"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelliemacs Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 hey...I know that stench. I used to go 3 wheelin through a swamp and my mom would hose me off outside becuase I would smell horrid. well maybe she just liked squirting the water up my nose but I really don't know for sure. and that muck, boy that NEVER came out of my clothes. you must smell like a bunch of daisies beck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 These things mean so much to kids ! I remember (as a Mom) we had 8 lizards, 2 tarantulas, a pack rat and a horned toad all collected by my son. My daughter was more in to domestic animals so she had 2 kittens (which ATE the pack rat and lizards) . As a kid I collected a nest of garter snakes (about 100) and was REALLY upset when my Mom wouldn't let me keep all of them . Hope you have a lot of fun with watching them change! God Bless, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stand4hope Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 Ok - you started this, Becky, so now you get my crawdad story. Our son, Mike, was about 5 years old and caught two HUGE crawdads, not the typical nasty little brown ones that are everywhere - they weren't lobster size, but in my opinion they were close to it. Mike & hubby put these darned HUGE crawdads in a dish pan complete with rocks for them to "sun" on, creek water, a little grass and set them on a stool by the patio door. I, being the wise person in the family of course, say: "You need to put a lid on that so they won't get out." Hubby says something like "Give me a break! They can't get out of there." Next morning: 6:00 a.m., little Mike comes shrieking in our bedroom. MOM - DAD!!!! One of my crawdads is loose! I glare at hubby who is sleeping on his stomach and manages to raise one eye and look at me like "Oh sh**!" I WAS SOOOOOOO MAD. That yucky thing got under my kitchen cabinets and made him rip apart the baseboards and get it out! The crawdads were released back into the creek that very same day! Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 Hey Becky, As they start to grow legs, you might want to keep the water level a little lower and put in a rock so they can "set" at the 'edge' of the water. I had a wide bowl not so deep and raised many sets of tadpoles in it before I traded it in for the kids... by which time the housing developers had paved over the good tadpole puddles..... Enjoy! XOXOX MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrye Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 MO, horned toads, I almost forgot about them! We used to catch them in vacant lots and bring them home. Mom LOVED it. (yea right) Becky, we get full grown frogs in our pool. My 100lb white German Shepard is obsessed with them. He wants outside at least 10 times a day to circle the pool and look for them. Thank goodness he has never caught one. I think he just likes the chase Jerrye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBone Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 hi, Sounds like y'all had a great time in the swamps.I remember catching those big ole bull frog tapoles.They grow into some strange creatures in their vairous stages.I saw some bullfrog tadpoles in a swamp in southern Mexico that were nearly as big as our bull frogs here.The have some huge ones down there.Can't believe they didin't have priority in the house.Shame on you for derpriving that kid.Praying for us all.Tbone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Daughter of Bill Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 Sounds way too familiar............right now, I have a baby snapping turtle in my living room. He has his own little aquarium and everything. This turtle "would have died" had we not rescued him. (My 7 year old daughter's words) We have had tadpoles, bottle fed baby goats whose mother wouldn't nurse them, bottle fed a couple of calves, took in a 20 year old horse that a neighbor was going to send to the slaughter house because he was too old to ride...........you name it, we've had it. It's like I have a sanctuary for sick or abandoned animals. That's o.k. though........I have loved every one of them. (Although I am having a hard time "bonding" with this little turtle!! ) Have fun Becky! Angie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted May 18, 2004 Author Share Posted May 18, 2004 Saw lotsa crawdad chimneys but I've NEVER seen a live crawdad out in the field (and I've looked, believe me...). I'm guessing that the thing the 'coons come up to eat (those cute little "hand prints" in the mud) are the ol' crawdads... When I was my son's age, my family lived in Panama (no, not in Florida, in Central America)... I was pretty adept at catching ghost crabs on the beach and the ever popular hermit crab... Went fishing with my dad and my grampa and there was a crayfish (yankee crawdad) close to the fishin' hole - I picked it up and my grampa took some time to tell my dad how crazy his kid was, THEN asked me if I could put it on his hook. Guess it's good bait for bass! The LAST time I ever went fishing with the family unit, we were fishing "the Flats" and were almost level with the water. We had our pan fish out on a stringer and started hearing a LOT of splashing where we had 'em tied... Upon inspection, we saw a HUGE crayfish (and Peggy, this one WAS the size of a flippin' lobster) going after the fish! I have NEVER heard of a "freshwater lobster", but makes me wonder about how much Miracle Gro washes down the banks! We'll put a rock in the pond when the legs start growing - my question is if I should be keeping the water kinda warm...the bowl seems kinda cool and we "harvested" the pollywogs in the sunshine... They're cool...really cool...looking forward to taking the froggies back to where the tads were caught (and knowing once and for all what the darn frogs LOOK LIKE that we hear all spring!). Take care, ya'll! Enjoy the trips down Memory Lane... Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViVi Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 Hey, y'all, I just have to tell you at least one critter story on TBone, as he has MANY. When he was a child in elementary school, he was very, very solemn (one man in town called him Alfred Hitchcock!) but he was a smooth one! He must have been in the 3rd or 4th grade when he went to District 4-H Competition in Entomology. Mama had been after him to work on his project, an insect collection, all year but he hadn't collected a single bug so she took him to the competition sans collection but with a short little speech. Well, he was last to 'perform' and they had sat through an entire day of speeches and demonstrations. Terry got on stage and made his speech, never cracking a smile or showing any emotion. At the end of his speech he made this announcement, "I would have brought my insect collection for you to see today but my cat ate them all last night." Mama almost fainted. Terry sat down, solemn as ever, and then they called out the winners and he won FIRST PLACE! One more - Terry collected worms, as in fish bait. He dug for them all the time, leaving the yard pockmarked with his holes. Sometimes he named his new pets. One of the biggest traumas of his childhood was when he left a big jar full of them on the back steps and it rained and drowned them all. ViVi TBone - I'm glad you were feeling a little better today so maybe you won't be so mad at me for telling these little stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 I forgot where I heard it, it could have been here, but I once heard that Frogs are goood luck, Fully Relying On G-d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted May 18, 2004 Share Posted May 18, 2004 Becky, Can't add a frog or snake story but wanted to say I have enjoyed all of yours. Shame on you Tbone. hehe. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted May 19, 2004 Author Share Posted May 19, 2004 Must be doing SOMETHING right, we still have EIGHT little pollywoggers! Read up on 'em online, picked the little guys (girls?) up some algae flakes this afternoon (while running work errands) and more spring water - they were starting to get mighty "ripe"... (When a 12 y/o boy wrinkles his nose with "Ew, what's that smell?", it STINKS! lol) We're not sure what kinda frogs (or toads?) they will grow to be so we aren't sure if the 'wogs are really young or if the finished product will be something under an inch...as I said, we'll know for once and for all what the darn things look like that serenade us when winter is GONE... Ya know spring is definitely arrived when you hear the honkin' geese, the singing frogs and watch the yellow heads of the dandelions swaying... There's the robins, too, killdeer, tulips, croccus, daffodils...LILACS! (Ahhhh, yesssss, the lilacs are bloomin'! I have a big one that I can stand IN and take a deep breath - and hack and hack and hack...LOL) ...and then it will be summer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie Posted May 20, 2004 Share Posted May 20, 2004 Becky, Gonna post those little guys picture when they are grown up??? We'd love to see em!!! Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted May 27, 2004 Author Share Posted May 27, 2004 Lost five of our 'wogs last night within 15 minutes...not sure what went wrong, but changed the water IMMEDIATELY upon the high mortality. So far, the last three seem to be doing well... Seems odd, I have been changing the water every other day (not ALL of the water, about half) and feeding the critters...making sure they have "daylight" even when we don't due to rain, etc. so they continue to grow... They were all puttering around in the bowl and then more than half of them weren't moving at all.... Mass burial "at sea" with a flush and off they went... May try again with a new batch this weekend - maybe the ones that have to vie for puddle space with mosquito larvae are hardier...who knows! We're kinda bummin', but that's how Mother Nature works... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeR Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 I have a frog story to add to the collection. We have a pool and over the winter water collects on the pool cover. Well, the frogs think it is a great pond in the spring, and are very happy living on the pool cover. The only problem was that they were so happy and comfy that they decided they should start a family in their new home! Well, a family to a frog is apparently hundreds of tadpoles!!! When my husband went to drain the pool cover I saw all the tadpoles and refused to let him take the cover off without me saving the babies. Needless to say, trying to catch hundreds of tadpoles on a large pool cover was not an hour job...or 2 hours, or 3 hours. Well, my husband had to wait a day or two to get the cover off, but happy to say the babies were taken to a pond and set free. (I guess that is my motherly instinct kicking in to make sure all are safe and happy!!!). I don't understand why my husband doesn't tell me anymore when he is going to take the cover off???? Diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pecola Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Hey Becky, maybe you could get the book "Frog and Toad are Friends" to read with him to go with his pollywog education. It is really cute and something he could read to you. I love all of your all swamp and critter stories! I'm a converted swamp girl. I grew up in Midwest, but moved to Florida 20+ years ago and 'nothin is more beautiful than the Florida Everglades - gators and all. You sound like a fun mommy, Becky. Gina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Omigod....this post made me smile...and remember when my oldest came home from the last day of school in 1st grade, having "volunteered" to take the class tadpoles! What an experience. Being a kid, he fed the poor things as if they were full grown sharks....and of course they died of an overdose of brine shrimp, causing a major trauma. So off we went to the pet store to get him a fish as a replacement pet....and we ended up with Leroy Betta who, from the get-go, was fed more appropriately Then we decided Leroy was lonely....so we went back to the pet shop to get him a wife....and came home with Loretta. Now we've got Leroy and Loretta Betta, the Country Fish! Nobody told us not to put a female Betta in with a male...and hey, we're talking a "married couple" here....so Loretta went right into Leroy's bowl on the kitchen table. I'm not sure how long it took before I noticed that Leroy was looking a little scroungy around the gills! Apparently, Loretta was attacking him....but she was clever enough NEVER to do it when we were looking! (I decided that Loretta was something of a fish b**ch!! ) A little help and advice from the pet store, PLUS the purchase of a separate bowl for Loretta solved the problem.....and Leroy and Loretta spent the rest of their time in a "legal separation"....the marriage having proved to be detrimental to Leroy's health. When we moved cross country some months later....Leroy and Loretta were rehomed with one of the movers. We had two dogs to bring with us and I wasn't quite sure how to manage two fish on a 3,000 mile journey! I was always REALLY grateful that neither of my sons brought home spiders or snakes they wanted to keep as pets. Over the years I've stuck with dogs....but thinking of Leroy and Loretta Betta still brings back some really fond memories and smiles!! Hope your pollywog experience does the same for you, Becky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phyllis Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 I grew up on a farm down South. I loved hanging out by the pond. Trying to catch crawdads. We had baby calves to feed and really mean shetland ponies. I had a pet rooster that would ride on my horses back and stuff. The man who ran the place would bring me baby bunnies all of the time. I love that stuff. He would also show me the differences in snakes. I love kingsnakes. He would just grab them and let them wind around my arm. That was great. Have fun in the mud! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted May 29, 2004 Author Share Posted May 29, 2004 CHAPTER 2: Okay, down to three 'wogs from the original batch...and they're doing just fine! Swimmin' and woggin' around - but don't seem to be growing much... Last night, we made another trip to Gramma's house...the "puddle" is even BIGGER and some of the 'wogs swimmin' around in it were pretty good size (think a pea with a tail in comparison to the end of a Q-tip with a tail) so we picked up seven more. When I got 'em home, I realized that THIS trip to the puddle "netted" more than we bargained for. The water in the bucket is FULL of young skeeters. I filtered the water I put into the new SHALLOW bowl with the rock in the center (thanks for the tip, MaryAnn) and they're enjoying their new home (out of the minnow bucket Grampa loaned). I'll put the excess water in the garage to use but sure don't want them ol' skeeters to be hopping up into the air from my kitchen table! The water in the shallow bowl is yellow compared to what the three "primary" 'wogs are in. Guess it's kinda townhouse vs. apartment complex..... Ahhhhh...science...hope they live and we see some froggage out of it all...maybe a few drops of Miracle Gro in the water will help speed that along...hmmmmm... Watchin' 'em race right now, one going clockwise, the other counter-clockwise and wondering how they don't bash heads - and how odd nature can be to take something from egg to "fish" to critter... Gills to lungs - how odd is THAT? Anyhow, back to the weekend! Lovin' that sleepin' in and relaxin' in the country air... Take care, Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted June 11, 2004 Author Share Posted June 11, 2004 Three of the nine 'wogs now have front legs to go with the back legs... When it was the large body with back legs, they looked like little dancers wearing big war masks...flitting around in flippers, of course. Now, the one with "arms" and legs have long tails and look like deformed dogs...and they're TINY! Once the tails are gone, the little guys will only be about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long! ...and gee, won't Mom be happy...LOL....she never let me keep them as a kid to watch the magic happen, but her grandson is watching them so it'll be okay...We're moving in with her this weekend. House closing is Tuesday, so far, so good...hanging in there and feeling all that wonderful stress building up... THEN it will be on to contracting work for the new place and DIFFERENT headaches...and sometime in there, we'll let the 'wogs go free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Daughter of Bill Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Watch those 'wogs!! I had five to grow front and back legs. They were about as long as my seven year olds pinkie finger nail. Three little frogs escaped. We then got something to cover their "home" with. They were doing great until we left the "roof" off two nights ago. The other two frogs are gone. My little 'wogs are in a five gallon bucket with only about 3 or 4 inches of water...............so the critters can climb when they get all four legs. I still have 8 'wogs that have no legs yet. Hopefully, we can keep then confined until they grow a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted June 14, 2004 Author Share Posted June 14, 2004 We have liberated two froglets! They were SOOOOO cute, barely a half inch in size (I'm sure a good-sized skeeter could carry 'em away, they tried to carry off my 12 y/o when he was puttin' the froglets in the puddle)... Seven 'wogs left, all but one have "arms" and legs...the odd one only has one "arm" out yet (he was the biggest 'wog, too, must be hard to get bulging biceps out...lol). Almost completely moved out of our house, closing is tomorrow...'wogs are back to their origin so liberating them is much easier! Covered the bowl as soon as they started "sunning" themselves and breathing above the water... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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