The Great Polliwog Hunt

[furtech]

Click here for the full Flickr set!
After our humiliating loss to creatures who evolved before the dinosaurs existed, I was determined to have my revenge. I found some large-mesh cloth and designed the ultimate bullfrog tadpole trap!

I played around with ideas for a while, but quickly came to this conclusion: the final device would need to be light (even soaking wet, or the PVC pole would buckle), portable (so we could get it there in the car) and framed (so that we could pull it out with control). My epiphany was to use the hoops from an auto sunshade: if it worked, they would keep the net spread out; they would be light (adding only negligible ounces) and also be portable. That last bit was the beauty of the hoops: they twist-folded into a very small bundle (as well as being self-expanding).

Now, plans and theory are one thing, but actual field-success is another matter entirely. Everything went well: I expanded the net and settled it on one of the tadpoles' favorite branches in the water. The trap settled just under the surface and then we waited. The dogs were intensely curious and martes waited for me to fall in.



VICTORY! After waiting for the bullfrog tadpoles to settle down again, I waited until I saw at least one of them perch on the net. Pulling it up, I realized that I had gotten several large specimens! Roz brought the containers down and pulled a dozen large bullfrog tadpoles out! HAHAHA!

Still, it says something about one's life when the greatest validation in recent memory comes in the form of out-witting a prehistoric creature with jelly for brains.

Comments

[skiefire.livejournal.com]

Christ those things are massive.

We have a tad-pond at the moment next to the main one where all of the spawn has been dumped (else the koi will feast). They get an apple core or two a day and the water is just writhing, but they are tiny little things.

Though I wouldn't fancy having thousands of bullfrongs hopping around the garden...

[furtech.livejournal.com]

The herons and egrets keep the bullfrog population in check: that's why they're so wiley as tadpoles. Something must keep the adult frogs in check, too (possums? Raccoons?) because they're pretty rare despite the abundance of spawn!

[tcreynolds]

That's so cool!

[dustmeat.livejournal.com]

COOL

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you two were finally victorious!

[iisaw.livejournal.com]

Yay! Nice bit of McGuvering there!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

You should have seen my McGuver-kit: duct-tape, more twine, fishing weights and floats and other stuff Just In Case. But it worked the first time! I still cuddle my victory!

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

Those are huuuuge tadpoles.

[wyoon.livejournal.com]

WOW... I don't know that I've EVER seen one of those that large before. COol. :) ANd it's fun saying pollywog. XD

Pollywog Pollywog

[tori04.livejournal.com]

:)

Cool.

I enjoyed the flickr set.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Almost like being there, except no smell or unpleasant litter (nasty stuff). I left that out of the photoset as being distracting and yucky. You should do more photo-blogs!

[swirling-chaos.livejournal.com]

Whoah, that net is super-nifty. We just used to catch them with a bucket when we were kids, which you have to be really patient for. The trick is to just crouch down and stay quiet until they let their guard down, and scoop 'em up. You can also go out at night and shine a flashlight at them, it'll make them freeze. That's more for frogs though, I don't think we ever tried that on pollywogs.

Anyways, congrats on netting some. :) Are you planning to raise them in a tank?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

The problem with a bucket here (and it was considered) is that it's shallow out to a drop off, and the drop off is beyond the log's reach. Also, the place is nasty: I wanted a minimum of contact with that water. Otherwise, your technique is pretty much the same: wait until they drift back and then grab-'em!

martes will be raising them in tanks at her house. She'll release most of the adults back at the original pond and maybe keep a couple. I asked why she didn't release them at the river wash behind her house and she informed me that they are an invasive species (from the eastern US, and she was reluctant to introduce them into a new area. She's responsible that way!

[swirling-chaos.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's good to hear. :) Good luck raising them.

[ruggels.livejournal.com]

whoa those thigns are huge. Roll them in bredcrumbs fry them and sell them as Wendy's chicken nuggets!!!

THose tadpoles if they are bullfrog are somewhat predatory, so keep the small fish away from them.

used to have to use a little fishtank net to catch them lout of a greasy pond at a local Catholic school when I was little in Seattle.

Scott

[furtech.livejournal.com]

They're Roz's responsibility now, but I'd look closely at anything you eat over there for a while...

I didn't know you lived in Seatle?!

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

WOW! Great catch! I celebrate your victory.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I R SMARTR THAN BABY FROGZ!

[desertcoyote.livejournal.com]

Very cool! I can understand the feeling of triumph. :D YOU ARRR MIGHTY HUNTER!
:D

[furtech.livejournal.com]

These days I take feelings of triumph where I can...and I AM TRIUMPHANT!! Woo! Can't wait to watch them morph into bullfrogs! I've heard them at the basin, but never seen one there.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

heh! Congrats, you're an engineer nows! 8> *ribbet*

[auryanne.livejournal.com]

Man, those are gigantic!

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

Holy crap they are huge. They look like things that little boys would put in my hair when I was a kid in elementary school :(

[artytoons.livejournal.com]

Well done. Frog kiddies and no bull.

Beware hungry French guys. Leg men.