Homing pigeon? No, homing toad!!

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skee
Posts: 39
Joined: June 23rd, 2010, 8:34 pm

Homing pigeon? No, homing toad!!

Post by skee »

Folks, this one has me stumped. It should be on Ripley's Believe Or Not!

Recently, my son found a Bufo Toad in our garage. He put it out in the yard (yes, I know, first mistake) and that was that. Or so we thought. The next day it was back...in the exact same spot!!!! He put it out again...same result. And again! This time I released it (mistake #4} in my neighbors yard. A couple of days later...you guessed it. Alright, that's enough, we're going to give this toad the ultimate test of it's homing ability...down the street and across to the other side. Finally, a toadless garage...Nope. I began to hear The Twilight Zone theme song as my son informed me , once again, that Houdini Toad was sitting comfortably in his same spot of our warm, dark garage.

Well, after moving junk around and disrupting his crib, Houdini seems to have disappeared for the last time. At least, we hope.....fade in Twilight Zone music....
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umop apisdn
Posts: 395
Joined: June 13th, 2010, 6:06 pm

Re: Homing pigeon? No, homing toad!!

Post by umop apisdn »

Sounds like you're vastly underestimating the ability animals have to navigate and recognize the environment. There's likely some sort of quality that the toad is going after, even if it's just the cool temperatures in the garage. Or is there a bright light that stays on all night outside of the garage? I have noticed "resident" toads that will set up shop beneath street lights for the plethora of food. That's at least until they get squashed in the road, but there's always another toad that will take that spot soon enough.
lashinala2
Posts: 93
Joined: June 15th, 2010, 5:23 am
Location: Huntsville, Alabama

Re: Homing pigeon? No, homing toad!!

Post by lashinala2 »

I have toads that stake out certain areas around my house...and they've been doing it for years. I've picked them up before cutting the grass, moved them, and they'll be back in the same spot the next night, on a per toad basis. I noticed the same thing on Dauphin Island at the old barracks...probably Cope's frogs?....if you move them, and they go back to the same windowsill because the bathroom light stayed on all night. Move them again, and they come back to the same spot...it's THEIR spot I guess. Kind of like us coming home from work.
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KingCam
Posts: 1020
Joined: April 11th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Re: Homing pigeon? No, homing toad!!

Post by KingCam »

Why do you want to be rid of it so badly?? Seems kinda cool to me. Good pest control for the garage, too.
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