Crows Preying on Toads

Brothers pond was constructed in 1984.  It is 0.1 acre in size and 5.5 feet deep at the deepest part.  A year later, the western toad (Anaxyrus (Bufo boreas) was breeding in the pond.  As the pond habitat became established, many animals were attracted to it

Brothers Pond at Busy B Acres.

Western toad.

American crow.

In April 1991 a pair of crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) were observed at the pond pecking something at the water's edge -- they were pecking a toad.  The activity was observed with binoculars and it was discovered that they were feeding on the toads there.  They would drag a toad out of the water and peck it repeatedly until it no longer resisted being turned over.  Then they pecked holes in the underside of the toad and fed on the entrails and muscle tissue -- leaving skin, bones and egg masses of the females.  The feeding habit of the crows on boreas at the pond was observed again in 1993.  Although ravens (Corvus corax) have been reported feeding on this same species of toad in Oregon and Colorado, this observation was the first for the crow.

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Peck holes on the underside of a toad.

Only skin and bones remaining.

Reference:

Brothers, DR. 1994. Bufo boreas (Western Toad). Predation. Herpetological Review. 25(3):117.

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Mantid Eats Lizard

Although the European mantid (Mantis religiosa), an introduced species, is known to prey on lizards in Europe, neither this species nor any other mantid species has been reported in scientific literature doing so in North America.  On September 2, 2006, a female religiosa was discovered in the act of feeding on a hatchling western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) in a flower bed.  This observation was worthy of publication.

Reference:

Brothers, DR. 2008.  Sceloporus occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard). Predation. Herpetological Review. 39(3):351