By STEVE GILLILAND
Explore Kansas Outdoors

As we walked up the sidewalk and across the patio at my grandson’s house the other night we had to watch our footing as the ground practically moved beneath our feet.

Dozens of tiny toads the size of quarters hopped in every direction with each step. An adult toad the size of a peach, probably dad or grandpa, perched at the top of the porch. We usually have multitudes of toads at the Gilliland ranch every summer, tumbling from beneath the tomato plants or leaping from under the lilacs. This year though, oddly enough our place seems to be “toad deficient.” I miss the little blighters as they are nature’s ground crew for insect control.

Toad… the name itself conjures up visions of witches adding eyes of newts and wings of bats to a bubbling caldron of potion, or a derogatory remark about a person’s physical appearance. They’re fat and pudgy, their blotchy skin is covered with lumps and warts, their spring mating call sounds like a poor lost calf calling for its mother and they pee on anyone attempting to pick them up. You gotta’ love ’em!

Their saving grace comes in the form of a voracious appetite for insects.

A few years back during a particularly wet spell like that of late, I spoke with Wildlife Diversity Coordinator for the state of Kansas, Ken Brunson, about the myriad of tiny toads that were literally everywhere that year.

Just when I thought life was as simple as a toad, was a toad, was a toad, Ken informed me that toads have names, too. Ken said that 95% of the toads seen in Kansas are either Woodhouse’s Toads, or Great Plains Toads. Eastern Kansas also has some American toads and Spadefoot toads.

Ken linked that year’s abundance of tiny toads to the abundance of standing water in places where there hadn’t been water for ages, and the flood waters forced many from their homes near the streams and swamps where they hatched, and sent them scrambling for higher ground.

Whatever their clan, all toads begin their life as jelly-covered strands of eggs laid in the shallows of swamps, streams and ponds. In about one week the eggs hatch into tadpoles. Next, hind legs begin to grow, then front legs, then lungs replace the gills, the tail is absorbed into the body, and finally, two to three weeks after hatching, the youngsters hop out onto dry land. Woodhouse and Great Plains toads both grow to be three to five inches long when fully mature.

Although not particularly athletic, toads are efficient predators and do have a ravenous appetite for insects. Research suggests that a toad is capable of eating two-thirds its body weight in insects daily.

Worms of all kinds seem to be favorites as they’re probably easier to catch (and I’m sure more filling!) A study done on Great Plains toads in Oklahoma found that because of their fondness for dining on over-wintering cutworms, these toads were estimated to be worth twenty-five dollars apiece per year to the agriculture industry there.

Their taste for bugs can easily be seen in their droppings. The black cigar shaped droppings found in driveways and on sidewalks this time of year are in fact, toad poo. When they have acres of yards, gardens and fields to potty in, I’ll never understand why they feel the need to go on the sidewalk or in the driveway (the least they could do is cart it away when they leave.) Next time you see some, take a stick and poke it apart; you’ll see it’s comprised entirely of undigested bug parts like legs and wings.

Contrary to the old-wives tale, handling a toad does not cause warts. The warts on their skin and the glands behind their eyes do, however, produce a toxin capable of making you sick if accidentally ingested. You’ve witnessed this toxin at work if you have ever seen your dog frothing and foaming at the mouth after playing with a toad in the yard.

With that in mind, I guess my advice to you concerning toads would be three-fold.

1) If you suddenly find your dog foaming and frothing at the mouth, don’t shoot it, it probably just licked a toad.

2) Don’t lick a toad yourself.

3) ALWAYS hold a toad way out in front of you with both hands or you’re liable to get your shoes wet.

So whenever a fat pudgy toad surprises you in the garden or flower bed, tip your hat to them and thank them for the insect removal service they provide.

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].

The New York Mets will lock horns with the Kansas City Royals in an interleague MLB matchup at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. ET.

With the Mets sending Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA) to the mound against the Royals’ Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.60 ERA), and both boasting sub-average ERAs, home runs are likely on Saturday.

After Saturday’s Mets-Royals simulation results were finalized, Dimers’ experts released updated predictions and betting guidance, along with a complete set of stat projections for both teams’ batters.

Following Soto’s historic snub from the 2025 All Star Game, he once again trails teammate Pete Alonso as the Mets’ most likely home run hitter. The complete data set is below.

Updated Mets vs. Royals stat projections

Mets vs. Royals betting preview

In addition to the stat projections above, Dimers’ experts have released newly updated Mets-Royals predictions and betting guidance.

Explore the interactive widget below to view the latest run line, over/under, and moneyline odds and probabilities for the Mets-Royals game at Kauffman Stadium.

Game details

The key information you need before the Mets vs. Royals MLB game.

• Teams: New York Mets vs. Kansas City Royals
• Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Location: Kauffman Stadium

Starting pitchers

• Mets: Frankie Montas (1-1, 6.14 ERA)
• Royals: Michael Lorenzen (5-8, 4.60 ERA)

Odds

The latest and best odds for the MLB showdown between the Mets and Royals.

• Run line: Mets -1.5 (+125), Royals +1.5 (-150)
• Moneyline: Mets -125, Royals +108
• Total: Over/Under 9.5 (-105/-115)

The odds and lines featured in this article are the best available from selected sports betting sites at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Local Mets fans can use the BetMGM promo code “CUSE150″ to unlock bonus bets for Saturday’s matchup with the Royals, while fans nationwide can unlock Prime Day betting deals with the Bet365 bonus code “SYRACUSE”.

Expert prediction: Mets vs. Royals

Using advanced data analysis and advanced algorithms, the experts at Dimers have performed 10,000 simulations of Saturday’s Mets vs. Royals game.

According to Dimers’ popular predictive analytics model, the Mets are more likely to defeat the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. This prediction is based on the model giving the Mets a 53% chance of winning the game.

Furthermore, Dimers predicts that the Royals (+1.5) have a 59% chance of covering the run line, while the 9.5-run over/under has a 53% chance of staying under.

These predictions and probabilities are correct at the time of publication but are subject to potential changes.

Mets vs. Royals best bet

Our top pick for the Mets vs. Royals game on Saturday is to bet on the Royals +1.5 (-150).

This betting advice is formulated through cutting-edge simulations and valuable betting intelligence, designed to assist you in making smarter investments.

MLB Saturday: Mets vs. Royals

Get ready for Saturday’s matchup between the Mets and Royals inMLB at Kauffman Stadium, which is scheduled to start at 4:10 p.m. ET.

We emphasize that all of the MLB best bets and MLB predictions on this page are derived from 10,000 data-driven simulations of the Mets vs. Royals matchup, and they are accurate at the time of publication. They are intended to assist you make better decisions when placing bets at online sportsbooks.

If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.