toads in pond

Question
hi Chis Im not 100% sure where to put this question

but we have toads in our gaden theres moe then one  and they keep going in my  fish pond  but then they can't get out why do they keep going in the pond? and why do they make this weird noise like what fogs make but longer. is there anything we can do to keep out them of the pond?

Answer
Hi,

Toads are amphibians, so they do need water to survive...they do not have scales to prevent water loss through their skin like reptiles have.  But, many adult toads are quite resistant to dehydration, and considering that they are calling from your pond, they are likely breeding there.  Depending on the species, the call is a trill, possibly machine-like sound.  Depending on the species and where you are geographically, they will probably only call during the late spring and early summer, when they are breeding...only the males call (to attract females to mate with); the females do not call.

Toads are Anurans (which means that they are basically frogs adapted to dry habitats).  They breed and lay long strings of eggs in water and have an aquatic larval stage, a tadpole, just as other frogs do.  Toad tadpoles tend to be very small (~0.5 inches) and black or brown in coloration; they metamorphose within a few weeks into very small land living toadlets, appearing just like the adults, but only about 0.25 inches long.

While they feed on algae as tadpoles, as adults, toads are mainly insectivorous, and will help keep insect populations under control...so they are helpful in this way.

Are you sure that they cannot escape your pond?  If they cannot escape, they may die there from drowning, as when they are adults, they breath air with lungs, just as you and I do.  

If you do not want them in your pond, the best solution is to put some kind of small fine mesh fence around it at least 6 inches in height.  If you don't mind them, however, maybe you could put some structure into the water to aid them in getting onto the land, some rocks, logs, etc. along the pond edge.  This would also help the metamorphosing toadlets to move out of the water and onto the land, so that they can disperse away from your pond.

Hope this has helped.  Please don't hesitate to write again.

-Chris