What is eating my Toads.

[animartco]

Hi Woodman,
I am surprised that in all those replies no one has mentioned hedgehogs! Dedicted predators do not eat half an animal and then move onto the next, unless the legs are the only palatable part of the toad? That may be the case, but using occams razor the most common and obvious answer would be the hedgehog. They are opportunist feeders and whole families would toddle down to the waters edge for such a bonanza as the arrival and exit from the pond, of mated toads.

[The Woodman]

It's a reasonable shout, I've never come across hedgehog predated amphibians but when given small fish they strip every bit of flesh and leave just skin and bones.

I would doubt if hh's would get into the wet bits to catch them, when frogs and toads are mating they are usually in shallow water - just the place for an Otter to clean up. I've seen piles of half eaten toads that Otters have taken, unfortunately in the days before I carried a small digital camera!

I had one today though when I saw a life first - spawning Brook Lampreys.

[hedgehugger]

Thought I remembered something about water voles eating frogs legs recently......

Water voles develop taste for frogs' legs - Telegraph


Just read back through the thread a page and found somebody had already posted the same link.... oops sorry

[animartco]

Hi The Woodman,
No, I was thinking the hedgehogs would be taking them as they were entering or leaving the water. About eatin smll fish- the point is that a hedgehog eats until it is full, and one small fish or two toads legs would be about a hedgehog porton, depending on the size of the hog of course.
Brook lampreys? I have never seen one! Nearest I have seen were the great elver swarms that used to come up our rivers. Can I see your pictures Pretty please!!!

[Mark_b]

I think it could well be rats.

In my pond last year rats killed numerous toads and cached them under a metal sheet and in a duck house, leaving the skin and bones and eating the flesh.

Sounds very similar.

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