Freddy is actually a Gulf Coast Toad. This is a picture of him from last year.
There were a lot of “Freddys” around last year. There was only one in the puddle at a time, but there might have been another 5 or 6 around the yard. Last year was an unusual year for these little toads; we’ve never seen so many before.
This year, the population was way down. Hardly any toad sightings at all, and none of them ever ventured up onto our porch or into the fountain. We don’t know anything about how or why the toad population fluctuates from year to year. Just because Freddy didn’t come back this year doesn’t mean we won’t get a Freddy again. Maybe he got a better offer and spent this last summer buried in the mud by a pond somewhere next to Mrs. Freddy and will pop up on our porch again next year. Or maybe Freddy Junior.
