Will the real Otto, raise a webbed foot?

Remember Otto?

As a tadpole with our California Kids.....

As a frog several weeks later, at least I thought it was Otto....

Now I'm not so sure.

 

My sister, Rosanne, was here the other day, we went the back yard so I could show her Otto, if he was visible. He is hard to see because he is the same color green as all the foliage, but after some careful searching, I spotted him sitting on an iris leaf. I pointed him out to Rosanne and she finally saw him.

 

I took my grasshopper catching kit to the front pasture and brought back several frog treats. I looked again for Otto and there were two of him! I showed Rosanne and she was looking at the fake Otto all along. They were only about 3 inches apart, both sitting on an iris leaf, synchronized Otto's!

 

I was stymied, we only put one tadpole in the pond, where did the other frog come from?

 

After feeding both Otto's, or Otto and Orphelia, I was still mulling over the mystery and never came up with an answer.

 

This afternoon I was cleaning in the pond, leaves are falling, when suddenly a small frog shot off the bank into the water.

 

WHAT???

 

Since I can't get anyone to talk, it shall remain a mystery, in the six years that I've had this pond, it is the first time I've ever had frogs other than the time I raised Jeremiah, the bullfrog from a tadpole that I brought home from a fish hatchery.

 

What I usually have is a great crop of toads, they start off doing this, singing for their mate.

 

 

They progress to this.......

 

 

....but remember, sex can kill!!

 

 

If all goes well, soon your pond is full of these little toadpoles....

 

 

....and they grow into tiny toads who populate the entire area and make mowing the lawn very dicey, for the toads.

 

 

I'm on the side of the toads so I mow the lawn, very slowly and keep a sharp eye out for the little fellas. I thought about issuing them tiny helmets and orange construction worker vests.