Let's talk "inadvertent" pets (wild) and how one cares for them...

[hlthe2b]

It seems with the summer monsoons especially active in Colorado that I now have as many as three dozen Woodhouse toads of varying size from less than a half inch to probably 3 1/2 inches living in my window well. For those of you unfamiliar with window wells, they offer emergency ingress/egress to the basement, some light, and allow you to legally finish it off per building codes... Mine has a grate per the photo below, which is great for keeping baby rabbits and other larger animals out.




It seems they are contentedly eating on whatever bugs are down there--(about five feet deep well lined with large stones over the dirt) that abutts the garden window in my basement. I might have had them in previous years, but never so many I noticed... and a hole in the screen caused some to get stuck between screen and glass--which I have since rescued. I guess they are getting enough to eat down there and I spray it daily with a little water to keep it somewhat moist down there.

Yesterday, I see I have a newcomer, a black and yellow tiger salamander, which is both endangered and the official state amphibian...LOL All of them feed on bugs, which I'm happy to accommodate.

Handsome little feller, isn't he?

So here's my dilema...As happy as I am to host them, I doubt they will survive winter down there and I'd really like to find a way to help them out on their own in order to decide where they want to be. They clearly can not climb up the metal lining of the window well. I'd be happy to host all comers to my little patio garden. I even have a little toad house there underneath the various plants and ground cover. Yes, I could climb down there and spend hours trying to catch them, but I stand the chance of stepping or otherwise injuring them and besides I really want them to have the choice where they live.

I thought about putting a 2x6 board down there, but somehow I don't see them being able to cling to it to climb up....

Anyone else have these or similar little guys living in your window well? Any ideas on how to help them out?

Oh, and if anyone does, I can confirm that these little guys won't hurt you, but you don't want your cat/dog to ingest them as they do secrete an irritant... People shouldn't really handle directly either, but just wash hands if you do. They can eat a lot of bugs including mosquitoes and their larvae, so we should really consider them welcome additions to around the home.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Do you have any wildlife rehabbers in your area?

Or a county extension office? Or state wildlife officers?

I don't have any good suggestions for you, especially without seeing the situation, but it does seem that they are stuck there and would probably prefer to be out. You might think that a board put down there wouldn't work, but it could be worth a try just to see. If I were there, I would let someone lower me down there to get them, but that is because I am crazy. Can the window be opened to give any access to them?

They would routinely dig a hibernium for the winter, but if they can't dig do into the ground in the well, you are right, they will not survive the winter.

And if you can find a way to get to them, be sure to wear rubber or medical gloves, for your protection and for their protection.

[hlthe2b]

2. Oh, I'm willing to go down there and collect them, but only want to do it once...LOL

There has to be three dozen of various sizes and it will be very hard not to inadvertently step on one.. so that is the hesitation..

If I can't get them out of there and they seem not to be thriving, I will go down and fish them out.

I'm going to try a board with some plastic screen type material attached and see if that will do the trick... I think the toads will do ok for now, but I am a little more worried about the salamander--though he may well eat one of the smallest toads if push comes to shove.

I'll check with the county extension to see if they have any more thoughts. The HOA may decide they want to put plastic covers on these window wells since some neighbors who don't even have grate covers have had problems with baby rabbits and other small mammals falling in. Plastic covers might prevent others from dropping in, but could be very deleterious to those already in, so I need to try to get them out soon. Thanks!

[Curmudgeoness]

3. If it were me,

once I did get them out, I would get some screen and attach to the grate so that there are no holes big enough for those buggers to get back in there...with or without the HOA making a decision. Screening is so cheap that it would be worth it to me. Who wants to continue to deal with something like this!

[hlthe2b]

4. Yes... I'm going to look at that option especially after this morning's "circle of life" on display

I went downstairs to the basement window to see how they were doing after I had sprayed some water down there. I saw lots of jumping toads, but didn't see the salamander right off... On closer glance, though, he was over to the side with something wiggling out of his mouth. Yes, of course you guessed it... He'd grabbed one of the smaller toads to eat and all that could be seen of the still live animal was its wriggling rear legs....

No, I'm not surprised and yes, this is quite natural.. Just not sure I want to watch it play out each day in what has become a very large terrarium type habitat, as fascinating as that might be....

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Oh no! Just as you thought would happen.

I agree with the circle of life thing---I know it has to happen, but I don't want to watch. And it is apparent that they have no real freedom in that window well.