DEAR JOAN: We used to have a year-round pond in the foothills that would have an abundance of tiny frogs. You would see thousands of them jumping in the grass and even in the swimming pool.
However, the pond cracked and now only fills, momentarily, during downpours. We do not see nor hear frogs until the moment the pond fills up, at which time they’ll keep you up at night with all their noise.
Where do they go when the pond is empty? And how do they make such a great comeback the moment the pond is full?
— Francisco, San Jose
DEAR FRANCISCO: Most California frogs live on land, not in the water. The ponds are mostly for making froggy love and raising tadpoles.
When not engaged in romance, frogs are pretty good at hiding out. When the weather gets too cold, most of the frogs will create a burrow underground – some choose the dry pond bed – and snooze the winter away. It’s not a true hibernation, but it keeps them safe and warm.
When the water returns to the pond, they do some, let us say, active dating. The California red-legged frogs’ mating season is November to April, which coincides with our traditional rainy season. During dry years, if they can’t find any ponds or puddles to nurture their tadpoles, populations can drop drastically.
All the noise you hear coming from the pond when it is full are the sounds male frogs make to attract a mate and then sweet talk her into releasing eggs for him to fertilize.
There are frogs that live in water, but these non-native bullfrogs cause environmental upheaval. They are ravenous and eat smaller, less aggressive California native frogs and their spawn.
DEAR JOAN: I am very concerned about a fox squirrel in my backyard. She has been visiting our patio for several weeks now, and I have been feeding her walnuts, pecans and almonds, often in-shell. There are several other squirrels that feed from our bounty, but she is the bravest doesn’t scurry away when I approach. I never feed her directly from my hand (but) place the nuts along the top of our fence rail.
Yesterday I noticed that she has a bare spot on her back between her shoulder blades. It is quite large, and it appeared almost overnight. There is no visible sign of trauma. She does seem to scratch a lot.
If she has fleas or mites, is there any homeopathic supplement that I can feed her to assist with her recovery? My wife and I don’t try to make pets out of wild animals, but in order to identify her from the others we call her Sweet Potato.
I’m not usually one to interfere with nature, so I thought it prudent to consult you.
— Bryan, Concord
DEAR BRYAN: You can find some over-the-counter treatments for mange and scabies that are safe to give Sweet Potato and put it on food you know she will eat. However, it’s very difficult to treat these conditions in the wild because the source of the problem – possibly mites – lives in the nest, so Sweet Potato will continue to get infected.
Although it’s cold, most squirrels can survive fur loss. I recommend your hands-off approach. As long as she is hale and hearty, she should be OK.
Animal Life runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.
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