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The common frog is easily our most recognisable amphibian.
They’re found throughout Britain and Ireland, in almost any
habitat where suitable breeding ponds are near by. Common frogs
have smooth skin and long legs for jumping away quickly. Garden
ponds are extremely important for common frogs, particularly in
urban areas.
adults can grow to 9cm.
usually some shade of green or brown though colouration is
variable (yellow, pink, red, lime-green, cream, black).
most individuals have irregular dark blotches on the back and a
dark ‘mask’ behind the eye; the legs are usually stripy.
widespread and common but thought to be declining; adults and
spawn protected by law from trade/sale.
Clumps of spawn (eggs) are laid in ponds during early spring;
this can be anytime from January, in south-west England,
onwards. Depending on local weather conditions, two to four
weeks later tadpoles will hatch out. As they grow the tadpoles
become faintly speckled with gold/brown, which distinguishes
them from common toad tadpoles which are black; they feed on
algae and water fleas. After around 16 weeks the tadpoles start
to grow back legs, followed by front legs. When they have fully
absorbed their tails they leave the water as tiny froglets,
usually in early summer but sometimes as late as September.
Common frogs spend the winter sheltering under rocks, in compost
heaps or at the bottom of ponds. They don’t hibernate as such,
and may take advantage of milder patches of weather to come out
and forage.
Adult frogs emerge from their overwintering sites in early
spring and head straight to a pond to breed; frogs reach
breeding age at 2-3 years old. Males have a single vocal sac
under the chin and may ‘piggy back’ to the pond on a female.
Common frogs spend the rest of the year in damp habitats,
preying on slugs and insects, and can travel up to 500m from the
nearest pond. In very hot summer weather they may return to
ponds to cool off.
Degradation of habitats and the introduction of disease.
Amphibian disease.
>>>
Frogwatch.
>>>
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