bullfrog
Darlene Petkwitz, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative
Q. Hi, Chip: Your article about gray treefrogs in the July 2021 issue of Ohio Cooperative Living magazine made me think of a question/problem I have: Do you know where or how I can get several bullfrogs for my pond?
My rural home sits on 2.6 acres, of which about 0.6 is a dug pond. I purchased this home 17 years ago and had several bullfrogs in the pond, and now I think I have only one. This is based on listening to them (or it) in late spring and early summer, so not very scientific. I would like to re-populate the pond, but don't know how. I’ve asked around, with no luck.
We purchase tilapia fish each spring and a couple of white amurs every few years, both to eat the vegetation. We avoid chemicals. Our pond does get visited by herons. We call all herons “Mr. Skinny Legs.” They visit when they think there is an available lunch. We chase them away, which isn’t easy.
Also, what about the use of RoundUp herbicide along the edge of our pond to help control weeds? We use it maybe twice a year. I think it’s a bad idea for the entire pond environment — frogs, fish, birds. Do you agree?
A. Thanks for your question, Darlene; it’s a detailed and complex one, but I’ll give it a shot. Since you still have at least some bullfrogs in your pond, I believe it would be a waste of time and money to try to add more. Frogs of all types are very prolific, and I’m guessing the frogs in your pond are being eaten by the fish and frog-eating birds (herons) that occasionally visit.
As for your question about using herbicide twice per year around the edge of your pond, that may be a contributing factor as to why you are seeing so few frogs. Not that the herbicide is killing frogs directly, but by killing the vegetation where they hide, you are making it easier for “Mr. Skinny Legs” to hunt and eat them. Also, you said that it is isn’t easy to scare the herons away. They are usually very wary birds, which tells me they are finding a lot of food at your pond. You may want to consider a compromise by using herbicide only once per year instead of twice.
Finally, I referred your question to Greg Lipps, the Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Coordinator at Ohio State University, and here’s what he had to add:
“Frogs are good dispersers, and the American bullfrog is no exception. It’s generally a good practice not to move frogs around, but instead allow nature to take its course. Plus, too many bullfrogs usually means few/no other frog species in your pond, as they like to consume all others, even their own kind.”
John Raterman, South Central Power Company
Q. A family of six or more crows has occasionally visited us the past several years. Recently, my wife and I noticed that two of the crows displayed white feathers on their wingtips. My bird identification books do not show this possibility. What is your experience?
A. Hi, John: I forwarded your crow question to wildlife biologist Laura Kearns, PhD, with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, and below is her answer and a website link:
“I’m no crow plumage expert, but I found this interesting blog, by an ornithologist specializing in crows, that discusses some of the plumage anomalies in crows. Sounds like white feathers are not all that unusual and seem to be an indication of leucism.” https://corvidresearch.blog/2014/07/09/crow-curiosities-what-causes-white-feathers/
