Ribbit

Just a bit ago I saw something blow across the floor. At first I thought the something hopped, but I thought "naaah... what would hop? Must be a leaf the dogs brought in, blowing from the ceiling fan". It was just far enough away that I couldn't tell.

A few seconds later... hop, hop, hop.

Mmmmkay, maybe not a leaf!

Nope. Not a leaf at all. More like a frog! (Or toad? I don't know.) A baby frogtoad a little less than an inch long. Hoppin' to its little heart's content across my living room floor.

How did a baby frogtoad get in my house to begin with? I wish I knew. Maybe he hopped in with the dogs after a potty break. Maybe he hopped in when I was taking out the trash. Maybe he is a Super Hero Baby Frogtoad and can hop through walls. However he got there, there he was.

I was about to get up to find something to scoop him up into so I could help him hop his little body right back outside... but just then he hopped under my tv armoire. Dang. I had visions of finding a baby frogtoad carcass under the armoire years later. Apparently baby frogtoad also had these visions and quickly hopped back out.

Only this time, he emerged as a frogtoaddustbunny.

See?



Now, y'all. I just swept and mopped. Only I can't sweep and mop under my tv armoire, so apparently that is where all the dustbunnies go to live and later randomly attach themselves onto baby frogtoads. You'd think a Super Hero Baby Frogtoad would be stealth enough to avoid the dustbunnies, but apparently not so much.

I ran to get a camera and then frantically searched for something to help coax him outside. I decided a scrap piece of flooring would do. I opened the front door, propped something against the storm door to keep it open, and gently nudged the frogtoad with the scrap laminate.

Superhero-ish though they may be, frogtoads just aren't very bright, because the ding dang thing hippity hopped itself the wrong way. I guess my house is frogtoad friendly and he thought he found a nice, new home.

I fought the urge to squeal loudly as I was SURE he would jump on my face and suck out my brain. Or at least get tangled in my hair.

I was able to construct a barrier so the frog toad could jump one way and one way only. And so he did. Right into the space between the end of the flooring and the door base thingamajig. You know, you have to leave at least 1/4" gap between the flooring and the wall? Well, yeah, we have that. And the baseboards still aren't on. And frogtoad fit lengthwise, barely.

Frogtoad liked this crevice. It was cozy and safe. No dustbunnies. No arch enemies. No frogtoady kryptonite. So I grabbed a little floor spacer thingie and nudged him again. And again. And again, as he kept going the wrong way. Finally I constructed a second barrier so he jumped out of the crevice instead of down it, and then he hopped out the door.

Sorry frogtoad. We have enough pets. But ain't freedom grand? Goodbye, frogtoad. We won't forget you. You're now forever recorded on my blog. Maybe someday one of your frogtoad descendants will someday Google "I hate teeth" and find you, finally being able to fill in the missing pieces of their frogtoady family tree. See? Even though I didn't let you stay, there are benefits to hopping through my walls. Please don't tell your frogtoady friends.

Hey, at least the dogs didn't eat you.