This was a historic day. It was the first day I’ve ever seen a frog in my garden. I’ve seen a toad or two but never an actual frog! Amphibians are a good indicator of the heath of an environment. They are kind of like environmental canaries in a coal mine, if something is wrong they are one of the first animals to become affected. Hopefully that means that my efforts in organic garden techniques are helping the environment around our little piece of paradise. This little tree frog was hiding behind my rain gutter and popped out when I was checking the connection for my rain barrel. It’s called a gray tree frog – a real imaginative name right? we could look at the binomial nomenclature and go with Hyla versicolor – I think I’ll call just him a gray tree frog…
According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency gray tree frogs are usually only seen during mating season when they come down out of the tree canopies to lay eggs in the water. Why am I talking about a tree frog on a gardening blog? It’s all related. Tadpoles eat the larvae of nasty bugs like mosquitoes which can make gardening and being outdoors quite miserable. Adult frogs are also good at eating many other annoying or damaging insects. They are very welcome in my garden!
To invite these kinds of creatures into your garden consider adding habitat areas that provide them with food, hiding places, and places to raise their children – or at least lay eggs! Also go very easy on the pesticides and herbicides, or better yet ditch them altogether – they can have harmful effects on these small creatures.
Hi Dave, Yesterday, as I was raking, I uncovered (and re-covered) a toad and two garter snakes. Today I spotted another garter snake – either that fellow has been following me around, or there's a family in the area! 🙂 I'd feel terrible if they found my toad, though!
Congrats on your first frog!!! I didn't see any here until we put in the little fish pond. Isn't it so gratifying when we create an environment that wild creatures find appealing?
Dave,
First frog, wow hard to imagine never seeing a frog around the yard. Last night I heard at least 1000 frogs and toads calling.
Most interesting sighting of late. Sunday the power went out after hearing a loud pop. The power line guy came out and a squirrel had stepped across the top of our transformer, dead on the ground under the pole. So I went to bury it in the woods. Flipped my tin roofing we keep for snakes to hide under. Found 2 Spotted Salamanders, then another tin had 3 tiny Ring-neck Snakes. Ring-necks eat slugs.
This weekend while burning some brush we saw some frogs (in the field of all places) and I saw my first dragonflies of the season!
Congrats on the tree frog! I have to get a pond going so I have a nice spot for toads and tadpoles! gail
SG,
I would love to see some snakes around here eating our voles!
Ginger,
Definitely! I'm starting to wonder about making a little pond somewhere…
Randy,
I'm sure they've been around but that was my first sighting. Very cool to see ring necked snakes!
Emily,
I haven't seen any dragonflies yet but I'm sure they'll be here soon!
Gail,
That sounds like a very cool project!
I bet you have more frogs you just dont see them. They seem to come out at night. The glow of our inside lights attract insects on the windows of the porch. The frogs enjoy their treats each night. You may have more frogs then you think…