College kid caught the bullfrog!! I can't believe he did it. He is so fast, I guess years of skateboarding have given him good reflexes. We had been out cleaning the pool, vacuuming and scooping out leaves and such.
Dh had scooped up a net-full of leaves, and when he dumped it, out hopped this big black thing right towards him! The poor guy was too startled to do anything, (and no-one else was anywhere near close enough) so back in the murky water went our bullfrog.
We decided to call it quits a while later, due to dwindling daylight, and lightning. We poured in 6 jugs of chlorine, then college kid resumed trimming bushes. We noticed the frog popping up frequently, I assume to try and get out of the chemicals. College kid noted his movement, and waited like a hungry heron with his 10' pool pole and net. Up came frogger, and down came net! We had us a bullfrog!!
College kid immediately dunked him in some fresh water to remove the chlorine. He was so gentle with his little buddy. I noticed frogger wasn't black like I thought, more like a dark green. (similar to an alligator, actually) His belly is such a pretty mottled grey. He wasn't nearly as heavy as I expected either. He was really calm as we held him and admired his beauty. Doing some research, we've learned that bullfrogs are the largest frogs in N. America. They can eat birds, snakes, and other frogs. Our little buddy was 11" long, stretched out.
It was late by this point, so we had to decide what to do with the guy for the night. A ten gallon aquarium wasn't going to work, and everyone nixed the idea of the bathtub. So we put him in a large dog crate with as much water as it would hold. (a surprising amount)
This afternoon, we took him to the lake and released him. He'll have lots of friends, food, and natural vegetation. Perhaps he will contribute to future generations of froggers. It's a bittersweet time for me. I'm glad he's out of the pool. I didn't mind him, wasn't afraid or anything. But the chemicals we have to dump in there aren't good for him. So I'm glad he's away from that. But I miss him, miss looking out my bedroom window to see him sitting in the skimmer, or on the top step of the ladder. I miss wondering when the next time is he'll pop up to see us.
Still, it's for the best. He is a wild animal, and needs to be in his natural environment. Best of luck out there, Frogger. Thank you for all the fun, excitement, and stories you gave us.
God Bless,
Chela
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