Last night when I went up to put the chickens to bed just after dusk I shone my torch on the path as I went so as not to stand on any slugs or snails. Lucky I did as there on the path in front of me was a toad struggling with a large worm.
It was so involved with it’s worm that it didn’t take any notice of me or my torch. I decided to head back inside and grab my camera.
I didn’t get close up as it was awkward shining the torch (it was now completely dark) and holding the camera and trying not to alarm it.
A toad with a worm under it’s right foreleg
It’s difficult to see but that is the worm under the right elbow. The toad is holding it down while the other end is in it’s mouth.
The toad struggles to get the worm down
It was contorting itself while trying get the worm down. Oddly enough this reminded me a bit of the chickens. Topaz sometimes pecks off a too big bit of grape and she holds her wings up to try to push it down. I do tell her not to swallow big bits but of course it falls on deaf ears.
The worm has almost gone
I moved round to the front of the toad
The worm has almost gone
The worm has gone
Once the worm had gone the toad ambled away. That was an unexpected interlude on my way up to the girls.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I LOVE toads. This is a great post. We have one who lives in my garden. We call him Toddy the Toad. And every once in a while the girls will find him and get all excited. I move him to a save place and tuck him deep inside some bush so they can’t get to him. In the morning, he will have moved on to a new hiding spot.
We have seen a frog or a toad in the garden before despite there being no water nearby. At least they are safe from the girls in my garden although I’m not sure what my little girls would make of him anyhow. I have never seen one eat a worm before though and to be able to get a few photos was a bonus.