I'll just call him a rain toad because I don't know what type of toad this is. After 2 days of rain I found 3 of them in my yard this morning. All were about 5-6 inches long. I also found a small land crab in the house. Small crabs can squeeze into/under very tight openings. I assume they both live under ground and don't appreciate getting soaked so up they pop.
Hugo was over working on my back wall today and during a water break I pointed out these toads who were hunkered down next to my front wall. I was surprised at his reaction of getting rid of them because I have pets. Anything that moves in my yard is a target for both my dog and cat.
Hugo's solution was to pour Clorox over them and throw them in an empty lot with a shovel. He said the Clorox (Cloro) will make them puff up and die ... who knows?
Bufo is both Spanish and the scientific name for a large toad. It seems all toads excrete toxins from their back as a protection mechanism and animals/pets can get sick or die if they ingest it. Some toads are much more toxic than others ... and I assume by Hugo's reaction they are quite toxic in this area.
6/24/2012
They are called Sapos here and they eat insects (mostly cockroaches) so now I leave them alone
6/24/2012
They are called Sapos here and they eat insects (mostly cockroaches) so now I leave them alone
2 comments:
I get that response as well from my neighbors. If it moves, it should die. Toads and pets are a bad mix. But it is amazing how many cats and dogs go on living around here for all of the things that are supposed to kill them.
By the way, the coatimundi was here again last night. I heard its chiping, smelled its musk, and saw its prints on the patio. But I never caught it in my flashlight beam.
I have an old toad that thinks my barn shoes are a condo. I have to shake him/her out before I put them on in the morning. The toad has been around for many years and my cats seem to give it a wide berth. It is a bug eating machine so it gets what protection this human can give.
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