# Today in nature I saw **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854 "2020-07-20T18:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 90
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1782 "2022-08-30T22:51:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > In our shade garden we place all of our broken flower pots, half burying them to create little caves for toads. I used to do this in my garden at home. My yard had some scary big toads for the unsuspecting. Here at the condo, they won’t let me create toad-specific space, but I place my pots in a way that gives them a shady, protective space and the HSA has no idea that I’m giving toads safe harbor. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1783 "2022-08-31T00:53:22Z")
Are toads common in the US? I don’t recall ever seeing one in the Great White North. Maybe our climate isn’t good for them. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1784 "2022-08-31T00:56:35Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Are toads common in the US? Yes! We had loads of them in Ohio, in Virginia, and now in North Carolina. And I know @kayaker has mentioned living in Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1785 "2022-08-31T01:05:12Z")
Our property seems to be in a perfect little niche of a microclimate that toads love. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1786 "2022-08-31T05:09:42Z")
I’ve got a “Winter Frog” (I know, I know, makes no sense… but hear me out). Some Goddamn frog that lives in the hot, dry desert all year without making an appearance. Then, winter comes along, and he’ll come out from wherever he dwells and starts croaking. But this is really winter. Cold as Fuck out here in the desert. And still dry as a PopCorn Fart. It is the craziest thing. I actually got a picture of him a few years ago. I still don’t believe it. It defies all logic. I drink, but not that much. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1787 "2022-08-31T06:54:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Maybe our climate isn’t good for them. It isn’t, particularly. Like most colder countries Canada overall is pretty depauperate when it comes herpetofauna - around ~90+ species vs. maybe ~460-odd in the continental U. S. (the exact number is controversial as salamander species complexes in particular are always in flux). But you are [not entirely bereft](https://canadianherpetology.ca/species/index.html). You certainly don’t want to sleep on the patriotic [Canadian toad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_toad) 🙂. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1788 "2022-08-31T14:18:02Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > In our shade garden we place all of our broken flower pots, half burying them to create little caves for toads. That’s a great idea! When I let the dogs out for the last time at night, I always have to watch, because once in a while they come upon a toad. The boxer is very interested. I don’t want him to kill it so I run outside and move the toad to the other side of the fence so they can’t get at it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1789 "2022-08-31T14:59:29Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I always have to watch, because once in a while they come upon a toad. We use “LEAVE IT” as a command when teaching our dogs to not interact with things. It works well and has saved the day a few times. Always carry treats. Pair “LEAVE IT” with a reward when the dog backs off. For when it is too late for leave it, “DROP” is good. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1790 "2022-08-31T20:15:29Z")
Something new that I haven’t seen - but others on my allotment have: mink, in the stream that runs just by us. I’ve got mixed feelings about this. Yeah, it would definitely be an interesting spot; but basically they’re an invasive non-native escapee species, and damaging to the ecosystem. So I’m (a) unhappy and (b) anxious to spot them. On a more amusing note, there was some fearful fox screeching up and down the road last night, just before feeding time. (The old lady next door feeds them; and yes, foxes are perfectly capable of estimating the time.) It was so loud that I stepped out of the front door to check out what was happening. At which point one of our fox cubs snuck out of the garden opposite, where it had been hiding; walked across the road; padded up our drive until it was about five meters away; and took a long look at me. Then, having figured out that I wasn’t the one with the food, it padded off into the dark again. j ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1791 "2022-08-31T20:53:03Z")
[https://i.ibb.co/RvGB7SL/2-CFE29-B3-C11-F-40-A7-95-DA-6807828-EC3-FA.jpg](https://i.ibb.co/RvGB7SL/2-CFE29-B3-C11-F-40-A7-95-DA-6807828-EC3-FA.jpg) Bald faced hornets nest, active, about 8 weeks growth. Those bugs care nothing about me standing right next to it but I don’t linger. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1792 "2022-09-01T14:41:05Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > > [@TRC4941](#): > > > > I always have to watch, because once in a while they come upon a toad. > > We use “LEAVE IT” as a command when teaching our dogs to not interact with things. It works well and has saved the day a few times. Always carry treats. Pair “LEAVE IT” with a reward when the dog backs off. > > For when it is too late for leave it, “DROP” is good. We use the same words. But some things are just too tempting! ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1793 "2022-09-01T17:51:43Z")
I use those words for my cats, it works too! Leave it! mostly. No way they’ll drop a mouse on command. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2022, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1794 "2022-09-01T18:22:09Z")
On our hike yesterday, my dog and I flushed an absolutely huge barred owl that scared the crap out of both of us. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1795 "2022-09-02T00:20:07Z")
Aw that’s too bad, the owl may have lost out on a meal. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1796 "2022-09-02T14:00:37Z")
Recent rains have brought out dormant Pink Sundews (Drosera capillaris). The flower stalk is very long to prevent the carnivore from eating it’s pollinators: [![](https://i.imgur.com/K1zEdlx.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/K1zEdlx.jpg) The rain has washed the bright globes off the tentacle tips. These things are really tiny: [![](https://i.imgur.com/9VVNt4C.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/9VVNt4C.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1797 "2022-09-03T12:29:54Z")
On my morning walk I see that the globes are all restored and the plant is enjoying it’s breakfast: [![](https://i.imgur.com/gip7NAO.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/gip7NAO.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1798 "2022-09-03T12:36:23Z")
That thing looks so bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1799 "2022-09-03T12:45:41Z")
Droseras are bizarre. The tentacles bend to grasp their prey. You can see that on the upper and right side of the spider or whatever it is: [![](https://i.imgur.com/qp3d567.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/qp3d567.jpg) Not bad for a creature without a central nervous system. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1800 "2022-09-03T13:42:14Z")
I just saw a red shoulder hawk off my deck. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854/1801 "2022-09-04T05:42:18Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > These things are really tiny: I had no idea they were so small! What a wee, strange, lovely little predator. My contribution: a skunk in my backyard! I haven’t seen one in years. We regarded each other a moment, then Pepe Le Pew shimmied under the fence to go forth upon unknowable skunk errands. [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/OZOhoXl.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/NPQpuM8) [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/yGj0TqR.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/pEZXEmR) [[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/vXVIhSO.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/AENqaaf) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=89) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-in-nature-i-saw/915854.md?page=91)