Frog population decreasing, think I found the reason

[addy1]

I had a ground hog eating some drone brood filled comb we tossed out. The little sucker ate it all and there was a lot. It totally ignored us watching off the deck so involved in the free snack. I figured the opossum would get it, not a ground hog

We had a bear here once, they relocated it years ago. It would be bad news for us if it showed up again. They love bee hives.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

@addy1 Your Nessie is much larger than mine are! These two are maybe 12 - 13" long & no bigger around than my index finger. Even my smallest fish is too large for them at the moment. I'm guessing they're eating tadpoles and maybe small skinks or salamanders.

 

[addy1]

I am guessing it is around 4-5 feet............... maybe longer
Guessing it is around 2 inches in width. So my small shubbies are in danger................. I saw a green frog while it was on the rock, now that green frog either got smart and left or was its next meal.

Life span 9-10 years, if female can drop up to 30 snakelets. They don't do eggs, but live birth........ humm 30 snakelets may show up between august and october

 

[Tula]

King or Queen of the pond sunning itself upon the lush parrots feather !

 

[addy1]

The turd lol, we watched it cross the bog hit the water fall rock and got swept into the big pond. So it is wandering around. Hope it leaves a few frogs. I do like my frogs.

 

[Tula]

The turd lol, we watched it cross the bog hit the water fall rock and got swept into the big pond. So it is wandering around. Hope it leaves a few frogs. I do like my frogs.

Nessie the turd !! LOL

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I am guessing it is around 4-5 feet............... maybe longer
Guessing it is around 2 inches in width. So my small shubbies are in danger................. I saw a green frog while it was on the rock, now that green frog either got smart and left or was its next meal.

Life span 9-10 years, if female can drop up to 30 snakelets. They don't do eggs, but live birth........ humm 30 snakelets may show up between august and october

Yeah.... I'm thinking that if mine stick around long enough to get that big, they're going to be relocated to a much larger, natural pond!

 

[addy1]

How in the heck would you even catch one, this sucker is running the moment I get within 10 feet. For now it can stay, wait and see if it starts inhaling the fish. I know it is wiping out some of the frogs, poor things, but the hawks do a good job at that also.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I have a pair of professional snake tongs (we relocate copperheads) but I'd still have to get within 4' of him, so if he's that shy I'm not sure. My little ones just hang out, sunning on the rocks, completely ignoring us when we're around the pond. Hopefully (if they stay) they'll remain as unconcerned about us & I could catch them. Otherwise... it would be rather tricky. I hope your Nessie doesn't cause any problems for your fish.

I did have a copperhead swim into one of my skimmer baskets last year & was able to trap him that way. You can purchase snake traps, but my success with them has been pretty poor, honestly. Same thing for catching the snapping turtle we had a couple years back. The 'real' trap we bought was a big fail, but one day we saw him hiding in one of the biofalls, so we turned off the power to that pump, which causes the water inside to drop - ta da! Trapped turtle.

Sometimes you've got to get really creative when dealing with the local wildlife. LOL!

 

[addy1]

I used a treble hook with some chicken hanging off of it, dull treble hook. The snapper grabbed it and I was able to pull it up, remove the hook, just on the edge of its mouth. Relocated to a farm pond.

The snake, it can stay unless something weird happens and we can happen to get it. I don't have expensive koi, but don't really want a fishless pond. Per reading they hang out on edges in reeds waiting for small fish to "sleep" The fish do scatter when it goes into the pond.

 

[j.w]

Is there such a thing as a snake trap to catch them alive? I would be doing that but I'm glad I don't need to worry about it. He looks like he could eat a bunch of fish. Can you just put a dish of sardines out for him each day

 

[addy1]

Fish, frogs etc all know there are predators out there, the strong will survive.............. Walking around I did see plop plop here and there even tiny frogs heading into the ponds. Just no toads, so strange usually a whole lot of them dropping eggs. Can see them at night having a party, not this year, unless our up and down temps have them on slow down. I have seen zero eggs from any frogs.

 

[Tula]

There are traps for snakes and I've seen a you tube video of one. They often use an egg as bait and you need to position the cage correctly so as to not drown the snake.

Wonder if Turd Nessie is dining on toads?

 

[Marck]

That's really nice to have a water snake around. Great photos of it too.
The only snake I've seen in my garden is a small terrestrial specias known as a sharp-tailed snake. They are mostly subterranean or nocturnal so I only find one if I'm lifting rocks or pots. Supposedly, they specialize in eating snails and slugs, so that's another bonus.

 

[addy1]

Right now it gets to stay, I do like nature, there are hiding spots for the fish. On a wait and see right now. i saw a brown water snake years ago, this may be the same one, but I have not spotted till now.