Share

Frogs are a hop hop hopping

Common frogs (c) Tom Day

As we approach spring and the days are warming, some of our amphibian friends are waking up from their cold slumber. After five months in hibernation, frogs emerge back into the wild world in search of a mate…

You may spot more frogs around your ponds from late February to March, depending on the temperature, where they have been spending some time conserving energy over the cold winter months. They can survive underwater during hibernation by absorbing oxygen through their skin. Remaining underwater will keep the frogs safe from predators and allow male frogs to immediately claim territories once they awaken.

Males will attract females to established territory by croaking loudly and repetitively – you may overhear larger crowds of croaking where there are several frogs in one place. There are often larger populations of male frogs, leading to aggressive battles to win the available female mates. During the breeding time, males develop enlarged pads on their thumbs which help them hold on to the females during mating or amplexus. Once bonded, females will lay many hundreds of eggs in a large clump which the male fertilises whilst still grasping his mate.

Common frogs 2(c) Tom Day

Common frogs 2(c) Tom Day

The breeding frenzy does not last long, and all that remains are thousands of eggs wallowing in the shallow areas of ponds. As the eggs, commonly known as frogspawn, grow, they swell and float closer to the water’s surface. Eggs hatch within a week or so, becoming tadpoles. Tadpoles feed on plant matter and will first lose their external gills and grow internal lungs, then their feet and legs form and they eventually lose their tails – a truly wondrous transformation to watch. Over the next couple of months will develop into froglets, feeding on flies and insects before leaving the breeding site and heading off to find food and shelter on the surrounding land.

Tadpole (c) Clare Gray

Tadpole (c) Clare Gray

Give frogs a helping hand

If you want to see frogs in your garden and witness the sight (or more likely sounds) of the mating season next year, the best thing you can do is to build a pond. Your pond doesn’t need to be big and can even be an old plant pot or sink outside your front door. Building a water source into your local space will attract ponds, dragonflies and newts and support these wonderful creatures throughout the year. Here are some easy to follow instructions for building your pond.

Create your pond

  1. Dig a hole about 20cm deeper than required to allow for sand, matting and liner.
  2. Calculate the size of the liner as follows:
    Length = length of pond + (2 x maximum depth) + 1m edging
    Width = width of pond + (2 x maximum depth) + 1m edging
  3. Spread a layer of sand approximately 5cm thick in the hole. This will protect the liner. You may wish to lay special protective matting, which can be bought when you purchase the liner. Alternatively use a piece of old carpet or underlay.
  4. Lay the liner across the hole. Handle it gently and only tread on it with soft-soled shoes or bare feet. Weigh down the edges with bricks or pieces of paving slab.
  5. Fill the pond. As the water level rises, the weight of the water will pull the liner into the contours of the hole. Do not cut off any excess liner until the pond is completely full. When the pond is full, cover the edges of the liner with turf or paving slabs.

 

If you don’t have a large outdoor space to build your pond, you can still make a difference for wildlife. Follow these steps to build a mini pond at wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-create-mini-pond.