Aquatic Egg ID Please

[Nanci]

I just noticed these tonight. They appear to be all one batch. Likely candidates are frogs, but there are goldfish in the pond, too.

 

[Nanci]

I hope they are frog eggs. I was just thinking tonight what a miracle it is that after years of no frogs, I built a small water garden last spring, and frogs appeared as if by magic. Now this spring frogs can be heard all over my yard and in the neighbors' yard, too!

 

[Nanci]

Here's another view. I never noticed anything like this last year, but I suspect I was just dealing with tadpoles that came in with aquatic plants.

 

[Nanci]

Just one more!

 

[Nanci]

This is the most prevalent frog. I have, however, seen one frog that looked like a leopard frog, and one that looke dlike a small bullfrog.

 

[airenlow]

I think toads lay their eggs in strings like that, while frogs usually have a clump of eggs. So, my guess would be a toad of some sort.

 

[Nanci]

Oh, well, I have been hearing toads singing the last two nights! Oh, baby toads!!!!!!!!!!!! I will have to build ramps for them to get out! How did the toads get in and out? It's an above ground water garden...

 

[RobbiesCornField]

I would be thinking frogs. But that was before I knew that fun fact about the toads!

 

[Chip]

Oh, well, I have been hearing toads singing the last two nights! Oh, baby toads!!!!!!!!!!!! I will have to build ramps for them to get out! How did the toads get in and out? It's an above ground water garden...

Toad eggs was my first guess, too. Pretty sure all species go through a tadpole stage metamorphosis like a frog. Nice find! :cheers:

 

[Nanci]

Hmmm. Last night when I took Bella out, there was major splaching going on out in the pond. I was very sure it was the fish- but maybe toads were involved too!

 

[Chip]

Hmm. If you were in Dallas, I'd suspect gay snakes, but maybe it was a toad party.

 

[Nanci]

I may have non-compliant snakes here, but AFAIK, they are not gay.

 

[Nanci]

So I went on a little recon mission tonight, and guess what I found!

 

[Nanci]

Guilty !

 

[Nanci]

(Yes, I know that's the male...)

 

[airenlow]

Wow...I was right? My 5 years of college finally paid off! :dancer:

 

[RobbiesCornField]

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAD!!!

 

[Susielea]

Wow that's great Nanci, did you see the female at all?

I have a question, will the fish eat the toad spawn?

 

[Chip]

I have a shop that does a lot of pond business. I've heard that fish will eat the eggs and tadpoles. And I've heard that they are poisonous, and that they are not. And that no commonly kept goldfish are likely to, but it happens and the toad's poison has no noticeable effect. I lean toward the latter, but in 6 years have never observed any indication of the local tree frog eggs being eaten in my personal pond.

 

[Nanci]

I'm not sure- I guess they might, but most of it is up in that plant where they can't get it! There are hundereds of eggs.