he’s back: one big-boy bullfrog returns
IN A RAINSTORM HE DEPARTED, AND IN A RAINSTORM HE RETURNED. One of my five beloved big bullfrogs (above) hopped back in the other wet night after a four and one-half month absence, with not so much as a single word of explanation, and just that same stupid smile on his face. The young female bull the frogboys had deserted, now grown to adult size, wasn’t having any, and turned her back to him across the pond. Hell hath no fury…but only temporarily.
By the next day the two were checking each other out, tucked in beside a flower pot together (above), and by next spring—well, you know what will be happening by next spring. Actually, they’ll soon be sleeping together in the muck at the bottom of the pool for the winter, though I have it on good authority she’s warned him that there will be no monkey business (frogboy business?) until next May or June.
She’s worth waiting for; I just hope he (top and below) knows it, and sticks around.
Johanna says
Congratulations! Where on earth do you suppose he went, and not a postcard received?
Ailsa says
How exciting! Welcome back frogboy.
Dare I ask — how do you tell if he’s a he and she’s a she?
:c)
Jody says
Welcome home Big Boy Bullfrog! Our little lady left at some point last fall/winter and we had no girl frogs this spring so it was a quiet summer frog wise, just 3 boys who hung out all summer and who are now heading to mucksville. This weekend I start removing plants and cutting them back to prep for winter.
Margaret says
Welcome, Jody. So your girl was the deserter, huh? It’s always someone who walks (hops) out in a huff. :) My guys are furious about the cutbacks near their pool, but the Great Blue heron is delighted. I have laid 10-foot bamboo poles across the pool to discourage Big Bird. See you soon.
Kathy says
Frogboy back – fantastic, there is a god a frog god.
Laura says
Love your frogs and their exciting life stories! Pictures are great.
Jan says
Well, you’ve almost helped me get over my horror of frogs . . . never thought that would happen, but these boys have their own handsome style and you seem very fond of them . . . I’ll work on appreciating them.
chigal says
That’s wild — do you know for sure that he’s one of the frogs that left, or could he be yet another migrant from somewhere else? (I’d probably be sifting through my photos trying to make a match, but they all look pretty similar — like that crazy crow quiz.)
JWLW says
HI Margaret:
We did not have a lot of frogs this summer. Must have been a frog convention somewhere. If they could only talk, the stories they would tell.
Have a great afternoon,
John
Dragonfly Lady says
We thought our night time serenading by the frogs was over but oh! no! they were off again last night!!!
Tammy says
fickle frogs fleeing far from fans, foraging for food finds fun, friskiness, frolicking ” froggy filly” … family.
That rascal, glad he’s back!
Charlotte Cantrell says
Awww…the “frogboys” of summer. Sounds like a song to me. Ribbitt…ribbitt. Or as my grandfather use to say. How deep is the water? “kneedeep…kneedeep”!
Or how is the water boys? “muddywater…muddywater”!
My husband always say’s they are saying “peterdeep…peterdeep”, but that a whole ‘nother’ joke. :-)
Laura Blanco says
He’s so dreamy.
Margaret says
Welcome, Laura. Yes, my hunk o’ burning frog. Glad you like him as I do, and we both hope to see you soon again.
celia says
I have green frogs for the first time in my 5 yr. old pond. Research tells me that most frogs freeze in backyard ponds over the winter. I probably keep my pond too clean, and there is not enough sludge in the bottom for hibernation. I lowered a pot of mud into the pond hoping the frogs will bury themselve into it as it gets colder. I really have become quite attached over the summer!!
Margaret says
Welcome, Celia. The key is that the water surface must not freeze solid or they will suffocate; I use a floating immersion heater to see to that – to keep a hole open in it for gas exchange. This is of course assuming the pool is dug deep enough not to freeze down to the bottom – deeper than the frost line. That would kill them too, if it froze solid down below. I talk about it here. I let some leaf litter accumulate each fall (not tons, but some) and they seem to like that semi-decayed junk in both my pools.