helping nature out... frogs/turtles

[sumthingfishy]

i had a couple of bullfrogs that i got from the state park as tadpolls. one of these frogs use to hang out with me, because when i would feed the fish he knew he would get 'sushi'LOL.
he normally would sit on the rocks near the waterfall until i came out and sat on a chair i would usually sit on when i'd feed the fish. then he sit on the rocks right next to me waiting for the redrosey to gather and then ambush them. he was my buddy lol. (I KNOW, HE WAS ONLY USING ME. ).
he made it thru 1 winter ok, but at the end of winter 2006-2007 i found both dead in the skimmer box(of course froze to death)
my questions are:
how does frogs/turtles winter over?
where do they go?
what do they need?
what can i do to help their wintering over?
cause i want to get more this summer...
in memory of lil froggy

this is all that matters, if i did a good job of the pond... he's the real critic. if he approves, i guess i didn't do that bad... lol

wait for it... wait for it...

GOTCHA!!!

you were actually able to see the fish wiggle in his stomach

 

[thrillbillie12]

lol, love the pics. i was always told that frogs freeze in the winter and just un freeze in the spring. i even remember 5th grade science and thats what we learned.

 

[sumthingfishy]

lol, love the pics. i was always told that frogs freeze in the winter and just un freeze in the spring. i even remember 5th grade science and thats what we learned.

thanx,lol.
i must have been absent the day they were showing dead things, but this looks dead to me, lol. i guess he then drowned. but still, the questions still remain...

i, already covered the skimmer box with egg crate(lighting covers)so things don't go in there. the bullhead cat fish, pleco, crayfish would repeatedly be taking out of there...

 

[mudkeeper]

you said he got caught in the skimmer? well then he froze to death. They usually bury in the mud, and hibernate all winter. I netted one out in February, when i was cleaning up the pond. He woke up, looked disorientated, then hopped back in the water and sank to the bottom.

Wood frogs can freeze and unfreeze, but not bullfrogs. Other species can do this, such as gray tree frogs and spring peepers.

 

[ewurm]

That's cool! Are bullfrogs native to your area or invasive?

 

[sumthingfishy]

That's cool! Are bullfrogs native to your area or invasive?

i guess they are native. nothing like hearing bullfrogs honking at night. if you wanta be freaked out...

 

[Muske]

"Little" buddy.... That guys looks like he has some mass to him...

That sucks he died. I have had three make it this year(first time ever) It is because I left some plants in the ponds as opposed to remove them in the fall. I left them so the goldfish will have spawn sites and that the frogs could hibernate in them for the winter. That muck, that is bad for spring time water quality, is key for hibernating animals.

Next year, leave some dead plants and leaves in the upper section of the falls. That area doen't seem to drain into the pond once the water level is lowered correct? Leave some vegitation in there for the amphibs. and or creatures. In the spring before you start the pump, do a complete clean out of that area and you should be good to go.

 

[sumthingfishy]

"Little" buddy.... That guys looks like he has some mass to him...

That sucks he died. I have had three make it this year(first time ever) It is because I left some plants in the ponds as opposed to remove them in the fall. I left them so the goldfish will have spawn sites and that the frogs could hibernate in them for the winter. That muck, that is bad for spring time water quality, is key for hibernating animals.

Next year, leave some dead plants and leaves in the upper section of the falls. That area doen't seem to drain into the pond once the water level is lowered correct? Leave some vegitation in there for the amphibs. and or creatures. In the spring before you start the pump, do a complete clean out of that area and you should be good to go.

2 of them died.
i got them summer time of 2005, they wintered over...
entire season of 2006. so they were a little over 1 1/2. their diet was mostly rosey's.
was he a good size for his age? i don't know these things...

some water does stay in the top area, but it freezes solid. there was thick vegetation in that section i didn't touch the plants at the end of the season.

in the pond itself there are leaves in the section where the cattails grow.

i'm assuming they took the skimmer for some kind of cave. i thought i would have to build them a cave.

can they live under water thoughout the winter? don't they have to breath air?

 

[Muske]

Mine will eat nightcrawlers and other bugs. They have become trained like yours and will join the fish and recognise me. Its pretty cool and hopefully you will have a few more this season.

I am not completely sure on the breathing cycle of them when they are hibernating.

 

[Mystus Redtail]

Sorry I don't have any answers, but I have to say that those are great pictures, and what a neat story. I'm sorry that they didn't make it.