Frogs in Your Yard—Are They Deadly?By Lisa Burns, Backyard Getaway

Lisa Burns, co-owner of Backyard Getaway in Myakka City

Lisa is the co-owner of Backyard Getaway, a family owned and oper-ated pond service and retail pond and water garden supply business, offering professional and personalized water garden and pond design, installation and pond maintenance services. Open by appointment only, Backyard Getaway is located at 2807 S. Duette Road in Myakka City. For information or to schedule an appointment, call 941-752-POND (7663), or please visit www.backyardgetaway.net.

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At left, the Cane toad can cause extreme illness and can be deadly to your pets. Photo© 123rf.com/Christopher Ison

he telltale signs of spring have begun. Birds are chirping, days are warmer and longer and, oh, yes—the frogs are croaking.

Most pond owners have experienced a layer of egg-filled slime on the surface of their ponds, along with the night-long serenade that starts in March and doesn’t stop until the end of summer. Although most frogs are a fun addition to your pond, there are two invasive species, the Cane toad and the Cuban treefrog, which have found their way into our gardens, one of which can be deadly to small pets.

Know Your Frogs We have three types of frogs in Florida—terrestrial, arboreal and aquatic. Terrestrial species live on the ground, and most are bumpy. They can be found under plants and hidden in pots. Toads, including Southern toads and Oak toads, fall into this category. If you see a frog in a tree or on the side of your house, it is an arboreal species. Frogs in this category, like the Green treefrog, have sticky toe pads, which make them great climbers. Aquatic frogs are, as the category name implies, water lovers. Many have webbed toes and will lay eggs in the water. You will find the American bull frog and Leopard frog singing around your pond. Keep in mind that not all frogs near your pond are aquatic frogs. None of the 27 native species of frogs—of which only 16 are found in central Florida—are toxic to pets. The invasive species are the ones for which you have to watch out. Many invasive species of wildlife start with someone purchasing an exotic frog, lizard or snake. The person, for one reason or anoth-er, no longer can care for the amphibian and decides it is best to release it into the wild. This is never a good idea.

Invasive Species Invasive species are not only a problem for our pets, but also for people and our environment, as well. Take the Cuban treefrog, for example—it eats everything in sight, including native frogs, snakes and lizards. Although not deadly, this frog secretes a mucus that will cause allergic symptoms in both you and your pet and may also burn your eyes. The Cuban treefrog, however, is the lesser of two evils.

Cane toads are extremely dangerous to small pets, causing extreme illness and some-

times death in very small or frail dogs. These toads produce toxins

through poison glands that are located on their shoulders.

Native toads do excrete a toxin as well, but it is not

potent, and it is harm-less to pets. Symptoms that your pet may experience after coming in contact with a Cane toad can include:

• Red gums• Head shaking• Drooling• Loss of coordination • Possible convulsions

If you suspect your dog came in contact with a Cane toad, call your veterinarian immediately. According to the Electronic Data Information Source of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Extension office, it is best to humanely euthanize the Cuban treefrog or Cane toad if you positively identify either one of them in your yard. Experts recommend applying 20 percent benzocaine gel to the skin to freeze the frog. Is It Native or Invasive? You can identify the Cuban treefrog by several characteristics:

• They can grow larger than 2.5 inches in length, while natives never grow larger than 2.5 inches.

• They have bumpy and warty skin. Natives may have very small bumps that are uniform on their body.

• They have large toe pads and large bugged-out eyes.• They can be beige or white in color with a wash of yellow

where their legs meet their bodies.• They have a distinctive hoarse barking call.

Cane toads have just as distinctive characteristics, but they differ from native toads:

• They can be larger than three inches when adulthood is reached. Native toads rarely grow longer than 1.75 inches.

• They have poison glands that are large and triangular shaped, almost coming to a point. Natives have small oval glands.

• They have no knobs or ridges on their heads like those of the Southern toads.

The best rule of thumb is to do your best to keep your pets from playing with frogs. To learn more about native frogs and to see pictures of natives and invasive frogs, visit:http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/frogs/central.shtmlhttp://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/frogstoads/.

May/June 2015