Frog population decreasing, think I found the reason

[Jhn]

That is a fat snake, agree with @mrsclem, a northern water snake. They are quite adept a catching fish too, hopefully it is getting its fill on all your frogs.

Have a garter snake hanging around the pond eating the juvenile frogs, even with me out there working on the pond addition I have seen it a few times hanging out with a bulge in the middle of its body.

 

[GBBUDD]

Even a rattle snake given the opportunity will flee 90 % of the time even big grizzlies if you make noice let them know I w your in the area they will prefer to walk away from us.
That is one extremely healthy northern water snake. Yes they can too be agressive but only if they feel threatened and you surpris them. It certainly has been eating very well. I found a similar one dead it the road no damage to it it was just dead. I picked it up and placed it coiled up in my glove box which was a 1977 grand marqui. Huge glove box if I remember correctly it held a six pack if not more. Any ways it asked tge then girl friend to get something out of the glove box while driving and I should have stopped before I asked as I thought she was going to jump right out the window but went for the back seat at the last minute ...close call. The head was tucked up so when the box dropped the head dropped only after the box was just about all the way open it was perfect so perfect I paid for it for over a week no nookie for that teenager for a while. Lol

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Aww! You have a Nessie! We had a small Northern Water Snake in pond residence all last year & were wondering if she was going to show back up again. Well, a couple of days ago Nessie not only returned...

She brought a friend with her!!!

I spent time wallowing around in the pond this afternoon, & disturbed one of our Nessies. She swam away from where I was actively working, but then climbed out to sun herself on a rock within a couple feet of where I was working. Obviously she's not terribly afraid of us silly humans. If she (and/or her friend) stay on for a couple of years, I might have to relocate them. Until then, I absolutely adore my little snakey friends! They can snack on all the tadpoles they want! (We're over run with frog at this point)

 

[GBBUDD]

I don't think snakes will hang here unfortunately. I think the smell of dog everywhere would push them toward the pond across the street. We know when something new comes in the yard both dogs let us know as soon as we step outside.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I don't think snakes will hang here unfortunately. I think the smell of dog everywhere would push them toward the pond across the street. We know when something new comes in the yard both dogs let us know as soon as we step outside.

My dogs & snakes have come to a mutual 'ignore each other' agreement. We have SO many snakes around the house, yard & pond that the dogs pretty much pay them no attention, so consequently the snakes pay the dogs no mind either. It works, especially since we have a lot of Copperheads & I don't want the dogs messing with them & getting a nosey nose bitten. (Those are the only snakes we actively relocate, for that reason)

 

[addy1]

Our pups are safe, they are never outside off leash. Bear chases anything that moves, leaves, flowers, bugs, loves catching black crickets, deer, rabbits etc. Missy has slowed a bit on chasing she knows she can't catch that rabbit. Lil Bear will go crazy when the cicadids start to emerge, I will need to keep him from eating too many, he loves to snack on the black crickets.

We did see, one time, a copper head on the drive way, never again. But they are warning they will be out and about eating the cicadids that are getting ready to emerge. So we will be on high alert when we walk them at night.

They are both excellent hunters, Missy, when younger, caught a bird by its tail, ended up with a tail feather in her mouth.

I am a bit concerned for the fish in that pond, there are not that many, all about 4-5 inches in size. The heron took my large fish out. I have not seen this snake until this year. We do have the rat/black snakes, about 6 feet long. They are good at hiding, occasionally run into them.

 

[addy1]

So If you don't mind I will call ours Nessie also! It is all part of nature, I do have a hiding places in the pond, this will be a wait and see what happens. Might even feed the fish this year to have more fry survive.

I do know the 8ish frogs that were hanging out in that pond are all gone. I really don't want all eaten, the hawks love them also..................
I have not seen the toads yet this year, they are the first to dump loads of eggs in the pond.

 

[Lisak1]

I really don't mind snakes - it's just the surprise factor that gets me. @GBBUDD I'm surprised you didn't get shoved out of the car for that little prank!

My kids had a tank in their bathroom for many years. It held tadpoles, leeches, fish, frogs - anything they could catch. We'd let them keep them for a while, observe them, and then turn them loose. One time they decided it would be home to a garter snake for a few days. They told my MIL that they had a snake in their bathroom (she was FAMOUS for her fear of snakes) and she should stay out. She said "oh SURE you do" - her mistake. My daughter - who was about 9 or 10 at the time - disappeared and came back down the steps with that tiny, harmless snake wrapped around her arm. My MIL took one look at it and FLEW out the back door - never even touched the steps. (I always knew she was a witch - that was my proof!) We still laugh about that today - even though my MIL has been dead for years.

I used that as an opportunity to teach my kids to never let people know your weaknesses - they might just use them against you. Oh, and if grandma comes over, tell her there's a snake in the bathroom! haha!

 

[addy1]

I picked up a cute little snake with a white ring around its neck..................years ago...............well its defense was to squirt out a really foul smell which took forever to get off my hands.

 

[addy1]

Sunning on the waterfall rock, laying on the creeping jenny. I need to measure the rock to see if I can figure out the length. The waterfall rock is about 32 inches in size, width. From the snakes head to the rock edge out of the picture.

 

[GBBUDD]

I used that as an opportunity to teach my kids to never let people know your weaknesses - they might just use them against you. Oh, and if grandma comes over, tell her there's a snake in the bathroom! haha!

Agreed I always told mine to fear what they didn't know not what they knew. That what they knew was a challlange no a fear.

 

[GBBUDD]

We only have copper heads around here and very few though they are numerous else where. The dogs don't go after them as much as the cent of the dogs keeps them away

 

[GBBUDD]

It's healthy @addy1 no doubt about that

 

[poconojoe]

Three black bears just tore open my daughter's chicken coop last night. Literally tore the wooden side off the enclosed part where they roost, lay the eggs. She said one big one was eating a chicken. I think they got all the chickens. No more free eggs for us I guess.
I really didn't think black bears were big meat eaters. I was more concerned with the foxes.
Last year an opossum got in there and ate one chicken. I didn't think they would eat them either.
I guess if they're hungry, they'll eat anything.

 

[GBBUDD]

If a free meal shows its self a bear will take it. Even road kill they do eat everything and then some