We found what I believe to be a Fowler’s toad last June. My daughter wanted to keep it as a pet since it is injured. We don’t know what happened but it was already healed, it just doesn’t have a foot. Anyways, it’s now the end of March and he is still the same size? He’s only about an 2 inches, maybe less. Feeding him is a nightmare because he is so small. Finding things small enough to fit into his mouth is almost impossible. We try though! We buy mini crickets, pellets, mealworms, and he loves the little pillbugs! We feed him every day but he’s just not growing. Is this normal? Jessica
Hi, I was working in my flower bed in North Raleigh, North Carolina and found small piles of what looked like crushed ice but is the texture of a jelly. Did not notice it there two days ago. What would it be? Terresa
On some still ponds in an area which was used for military training during WW2 and then became a clay pigeon shoot, a gold sheen appears during the summer months. It disappears when disturbed only to re-appear if left alone. I have not seen it anywhere else. It could be that material was buried here at the end of the war which could provide a special environment due to leakage, of, for example, phosphorous, which I know was used to make anti-tank bombs. I suspect a micro organism of some sort but what?
I saw this incredibly bright stuff on some maple bark, in a wooded area, after four or five rainy days in July in New Hampshire. I think the producers of “Stranger Things” would be interested. Do you know what it is, and is it toxic? Lawrence
My dad found these bugs in our pond and I have been trying to find out what they are. They are a pale orange and an oblong shape. I’ve looked at one under a microscope and it appears as if it has two large claws in the front and then four small legs (two on each side). They are they are about the size of the tip of a pen. They stay under the water, and it appears as if they burrow down inside the mud at the bottom. They can move very fast for their size. I doubt that’s enough information to come up with what they are, but if you could somehow give me a lead as to what they could possibly that would be great.
Your questions about plants, animals, and other organisms answered by a naturalist. If you have something to add to these threads, email tom@askanaturalist.com.
