Written by Paul Arestides, Transforming Lives Trainee
Frog, toad or newt?
As shown in the below photos, frog spawn is laid in clumps of jelly-like eggs, usually in shallow parts of water. Toad spawn is laid in long chains of double-rowed single eggs and is usually in deeper water, it’s also a lot harder to see! Newts lay single eggs inside folded leaves.
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Is there too much Frog spawn in my pond?
You can never have too much! Only a small amount of spawn will survive to become tadpoles with even less becoming froglets and eventually adult frogs. This is why frogs lay thousands of eggs each year to ensure at least some of them survive.
The spawn in my pond hasn’t developed properly.
Unfortunately, this does happen frequently, and there are many factors as to why spawn may not develop. Frog spawn needs sun and warmth to become tadpoles, a frost or prolonged cold spell may kill off the eggs, also too much shade means the spawn might not get enough sunlight and warmth to develop quick enough. Nature will find a way, some years will be better than others.
Can you move frogspawn to different ponds?
We always advise never to transfer spawn, tadpoles or amphibians. This is due to the risk of spreading invasive animals and plants and also amphibian diseases.
We start getting frogspawn sightings in the UK around January, normally in the Southwest first where the climate is milder. It’s a great time of excitement to see if your garden pond or a local water body is alive with breeding amphibians.
You can log your findings on our free Dragon Finder App available to download on your mobile device.
For advice on amphibians and reptiles, you can visit our FAQ pages.