Toad in a hole

[British Red]

My wife was gardening in a wild area of the garden that we cultivate for wildlife today (planting woodland bulbs). She accidentally unearthed a toad in a shallow hole (maybe an inch below the surface). Apparently toads do hibernate in such holes - but I certainly have never encountered this before - has anyone else?

 

[Nemesis]

Yep. When I was a kid I unearthed one in a similar state in my parents garden. The spade missed it by a hairs breadth.

 

[Robson Valley]

BR: You just haven't been digging in the right places before!
Frogs & Toads can "breathe" through their skin. Plus when they are very cold, they don't need much oxygen anyway.
Here in western Canada, the frogs and toads dig into the mud in wet places, it may actually freeze around them.

Also, we have a non-poisonous snake, the red-lined garter snake. Apparently they have some genetic memory
of where to hibernate (tunnels in rock piles, etc). They will pile up by the hundreds and hundreds in places like that.
Most of the locations are kept secret to prevent a$$hole vandalism.

 

[sunndog]

Yep, loads of times when grubbing about in woods and hedge bottoms

 

[TarHeelBrit]

Yup a couple of times when I was redoing the plants in the bog part of my pond. I missed the little chap by a hairs breath. After that I dug in the mud with my fingers as I didn't want to find half a frog on my trowel. I like those little guys.

 

[Mr.punch]

we have a few that over winter in our poly tunnel right in the corners I know they are there so just leave them to it, they have been around for about 5 years and one of them is very big, I will take a pic in spring when he wakes up. At least they keep the slugs and insects down.

 

[Stingray]

I had one in a hole in the middle of my lawn a few years ago.Scared the life out of me when I touched it.I just put a marker by it so I knew where it was and let it get on with it.Perfect toad shaped hole though.

 

[ged]

We have a couple in the cellar. They sing along when the wife plays some of her louder classical pieces.

 

[spandit]

Wild "area" of the garden? That would be our garden...

We have a few springs that come up in really heavy rain - old animal burrows I think. Found a frog in one of them (possibly a toad, it was small and disappeared when I got too close) but whether it had dug the hole or not, I'm unable to say.

We find plenty around the place - the mother-in-law isn't too keen but if they can eat some more slugs I'd be grateful!

 

[Goatboy]

I often wonder if that's how Toad In The Hole got it's name, for the semblance to a toad half buried in the earth. (The etymologists seem unclear on the subject). (I also thought I was gong to see some grub when I opened the link!) It really caught my interest as a kid reading about entombed animals.