I finally gave up catching bugs for the Theo the toad. The weather changed, the pickings were slim, and I was sick of running around the yard with a jar and net every night. My neighbors were always very polite and asked after Theo, but whenever they walked off, I could see them shaking their heads.
Theo had grown large enough that he could eat small crickets, so I went to the local pet store. Small crickets are sold for 12 cents. Did everyone hear that...12 freaking cents. Good grief, if I'd known how cheap they were I would've gone there sooner. I bought a bag of thirty, thinking I'd feed Theo three a night.
Theo was one happy little toad. He finally had food that didn't try and fly away.
Apparently, crickets have a high mortality rate. Well, at least mine did. They started dying fairly quickly. I also have a feeling that crickets are cannibals just like tadpoles. There wasn't much left of their tiny carcasses when I did a body count the next morning. I decided it would be best to place a few extra crickets into Theo's bowl. I thought since his living quarters was more organic than a glass jar, the crickets survival rate might rise.
That night, I dropped six crickets inside his bowl. I figured he'd make them last, right.
The next morning, I looked in the bowl to see this bloated, waddling creature that only flinched when I poked him. Of course this freaked me out. I immediately put him back on a two cricket a day diet, but Kiwi told me, "Mama, no toads have ever died from being too fat."
I'm not sure where she came by this bit of logic, but if it's decreed by Kiwi, it must be so.
Theo had grown large enough that he could eat small crickets, so I went to the local pet store. Small crickets are sold for 12 cents. Did everyone hear that...12 freaking cents. Good grief, if I'd known how cheap they were I would've gone there sooner. I bought a bag of thirty, thinking I'd feed Theo three a night.
Theo was one happy little toad. He finally had food that didn't try and fly away.
Apparently, crickets have a high mortality rate. Well, at least mine did. They started dying fairly quickly. I also have a feeling that crickets are cannibals just like tadpoles. There wasn't much left of their tiny carcasses when I did a body count the next morning. I decided it would be best to place a few extra crickets into Theo's bowl. I thought since his living quarters was more organic than a glass jar, the crickets survival rate might rise.
That night, I dropped six crickets inside his bowl. I figured he'd make them last, right.
The next morning, I looked in the bowl to see this bloated, waddling creature that only flinched when I poked him. Of course this freaked me out. I immediately put him back on a two cricket a day diet, but Kiwi told me, "Mama, no toads have ever died from being too fat."
I'm not sure where she came by this bit of logic, but if it's decreed by Kiwi, it must be so.
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| Theo- A bloated toad. |
Not to be grim, but yeah, toads can die of being too fat. At least, I've had tadpoles that ate until they've burst. I don't know if that habit changes when they transform into toads, but I don't think it would.
ReplyDeleteJust so you know.
Good to know. He's now on a diet and seems to be doing okay. Maybe my freak out saved his life:)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Sorry I'm laughing, but this cracked me up. Naughty Theo for eating too much!
ReplyDeleteYou sure got your hands full there, Angie. Good luck!
Thank goodness I finally broke down and went to the pet store. I don't know what I was thinking, standing around the porch light trying to catch bugs in a jar. One flew into my eye. I laid in bed one night and found a praying mantis on my shirt, shudders.
ReplyDeleteIf I ever speak about tadpole hunting next year, slap me upside the head.