What our animals are doing this month

July 1, 2025 by Admin

Written by Anastasia Hinchcliffe, Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire Trainee

Although we now turn from an unseasonably dry spring towards the summer months, plenty is still going on for our amphibians. This month, our focus is on the common toad.

With their mating season generally coming to a close in early spring, adult toads will now be back to spending less time in water, instead favouring dark and damp spots in which to shelter and feed. You may have been lucky enough to see their tadpoles, which differ from those of the common frog in that they are darker (generally black in colour), appear slightly smaller and tend to move around in shoals. Earlier still, you may have seen toad spawn, which appears to be in ribbons rather than clumps and is often wrapped around pond foliage.

toads will now be back to spending less time in water, instead favouring dark and damp spots in which to shelter and feed.

Although their physical progression into adulthood is much the same, toadlets tend to leave the water slightly earlier than froglets and, although still tiny, may now be seen making their mass exodus across grassy banks and footpaths. Unfortunately, their small size makes them easy to step on, so take care to watch your step while out and about!

Preferred spots for toads for the rest of the year include collections of leaf litter, log piles and compost heaps. With toad numbers continually on the decline, making wildlife-friendly choices in gardens is especially important for them. While we have the sun, why not get out in the garden and create your own shady log or rock pile, or even a special Toad Abode? It’s also never too late in the season to dig that pond!

There’s tonnes of other ideas in our ‘Idea Zone’ so whilst the weather is good, get outside and make your green spaces more wildlife-friendly.

What our animals are doing this month

June 1, 2025 by Admin

Written by Andrew Smart, Head of Science & Research

The Secret Life of the Grass Snake: Spring into Summer

As the chill of winter fades and the days begin to warm, one of Britain’s most fascinating reptiles stirs from its slumber. The grass snake, our largest native snake species, typically emerges from hibernation around March or April, ready to begin a new season of activity.

By late spring, these snakes have left their hibernation sites and are actively basking in the sun, feeding, and preparing to breed, usually during April and May. If you’re lucky, you might spot a tell-tale sign of their presence: a circular patch of flattened grass where a snake has coiled itself to soak up the warmth.

Grass snakes are especially drawn to ponds, where they hunt amphibians, small fish, and even moorhen chicks.

Once they’ve gathered enough heat, grass snakes begin to explore, often moving along hedgerows and ditches for cover. They’re especially drawn to ponds, where they hunt amphibians, small fish, and even moorhen chicks. Their movement is stealthy, and they make the most of natural features to remain hidden from predators and prey alike.

Interestingly, grass snakes don’t all roam the same distances. Some may stick to small areas of just half a hectare, while others have been recorded covering territories as large as 33 hectares. Females tend to be larger than males and take on the important task of egg-laying in early summer.

Between June and July, female grass snakes lay clutches of 10 to 40 eggs, often choosing warm, damp spots such as rotting vegetation piles or garden compost heaps, especially those rich in grass clippings. These warm environments act as natural incubators. By late summer, the eggs hatch, and tiny juvenile snakes begin their journey into the wild.

So next time you’re near a sunny hedgerow or a quiet pond, keep an eye out, you might just catch a glimpse of this remarkable, secretive reptile going about its seasonal rituals.

Remember to record your amphibian and reptile sightings on our free Dragon Finder App.

What our animals are doing this month

April 1, 2025 by Admin

Written by Eve Goddard, Transforming Lives Trainee.

Spring is the time when amphibians will be emerging from their overwintering sites to make their way to ponds ready for breeding season. Typically, they will head out at night, providing protection from some predators, favouring damp conditions suitable for their skin.

Our three native newt species, great crested, smooth and palmate will travel up to 500m to a suitable breeding pond. The males undergo physiological changes, for example; palmate newts will develop a filament on the end of the tail, and the smooth and great crested newt’s crests will grow in readiness for their aquatic display dance!

Once mating has taken place, the females will be very busy, laying up to 300 individual eggs in vegetation in the pond, gently folding leaves around their precious eggs for protection.

Newts may well have been beaten to the pond by the common frog, who can sometimes emerge far earlier – sometimes spawn will be seen from as early as January!

The common toad, adopting a more leisurely pace will tend to breed in late spring, heading back to the pond they were spawned from. They will travel up to an enormous 5km! Common toad’s spawn is laid in ‘strings’ of dual rows of eggs which will be wrapped around vegetation. The common frog’s spawn is laid in clumps or ‘rafts’ making it easy to distinguish the two.

With all this activity, Spring is a great time to head out on nature walks and see what you can discover in your local blue and green spaces.

Don’t forget to record any sightings on our free Dragon Finder App!

What our animals are doing this month…

March 1, 2025 by Admin

Written by Emma Byrne, Transforming Lives Trainee

March is an important month for the UK’s amphibian and reptile species. The general temperature is gradually warming, and as such, many of these species are coming out of hibernation ready to breed, feed, and explore their habitats.

Amphibians:

Frogs, toads, and newts are on the move!

Common frogs and toads migrate in large numbers towards their breeding ponds, with many crossing roads in the process making projects such as Toads on Roads necessary. Male frogs can be heard croaking to attract mates, whilst spawn begins to appear in ponds. Smooth and great crested newts are also heading to the water where they perform spectacular courtship displays!

Reptiles:

The only venomous British snake, the adder, emerges from hibernation as days lengthen. Males have been observed lying out in the sun, a behaviour that allows them to build up energy before shedding skin prior to breeding season. Other reptiles, such as grass snakes and slow worms, also awaken but bide their time waiting for even warmer weather to descend.

March is the perfect month to get outside and begin looking for amphibians and reptiles in the wild! If you happen to see any, please register your sighting on our free Froglife Dragon Finder App.

What our animals are doing this month

February 1, 2025 by Admin

Written by Charles Bonnett, Transforming Lives Trainee

It’s February and we’re settling into the New Year. For our animals, February can represent a period of transition, as the first signs of spring start to stir them from their dormancy.

For some amphibians, February marks the beginning of their habitual migration to their breeding ponds. Male common frogs typically arrive first, ready to attract females. In warmer, southernly regions of the country, mating may have already occurred by late February and frogspawn may be present. Likewise, during warm, wet evenings, common toads will begin their migration to their ancestral breeding ponds; these epic journeys can sometimes span kilometres. Some of our three native newt species, smooth, palmate, and great crested newts, will similarly begin to rouse from their dormancy, though will likely remain more inconspicuous than their frog and toad counterparts.

In comparison to amphibians, our reptiles are more temperature-sensitive, and so will mostly maintain their dormant state throughout the cold February days in order conserve their energy. Though, this does not mean that reptiles will be completely inactive during this period; a warm spell may stir adders and common lizards from their inactivity, after which they may be seen basking on south-facing slopes to regulate their body temperature in preparation for spring.

Generally, there is a degree of variation in when a member of a species may exit brumation, in part influenced by regional variation in weather, where earlier activity may be observed in more southerly regions. A further notable impact on this transition is our ever-changing climate. Our winters are becoming milder and less predictable, leading to our amphibians and reptiles exiting their dormant state prematurely. This early emergence can be dangerous, as it can leave the animals exposed to unpredictable weather, such as cold snaps. Likewise, it can cause the expenditure of energy during colder periods which may be difficult to recoup as sources of food will be rarer.

Overall, then, February can be a transitionary period from dormancy to activity for our amphibians and reptiles, and will likely continue to be with greater frequency due to our changing climate.

Remember to report any sightings of our species (including eggs and young) on our free Dragon Finder app.

What our animals are doing this month

January 1, 2025 by Admin

Written by Paul Arestides, Transforming Lives Trainee

Happy New Year to you all. It’s January and the start of 2025, our weather doesn’t seem to be getting any more predictable and the warmer winters do have an impact on our amphibians and reptiles. These animals usually rest up over winter, either in the bottom of ponds, in rocky crevices or finding places underground to brumate, hidden away from cold or freezing conditions.

As the climate warms, however, we are noticing changes in behaviour. Our winters in the UK are now generally milder and can tempt amphibians and reptiles out of their brumation state. With reports of newts and frogs in ponds in January, even in full breeding condition, is now fairly normal in southern counties. Snakes and lizards will also make an appearance when the winter sun is strong enough, and all this would have been unheard of 15 or 20 years ago.

All the evidence is now pointing to our reptiles and amphibians emerging from their slowing-down period and breeding earlier than ever before, in response to our ever-changing climate.

It is still too early to predict the implications of these changes in behaviour, but a consequence of this has been on our reserve at Hampton with delayed pond maintenance due to the higher risk of harming our pond animals as they stay active for longer. This year we will be starting our great crested newt surveys earlier in response to breeding patterns.

With an unpredictable climate it can cause issues if newts, frogs or toads breed earlier with higher risks of frozen ponds, spawn and eggs. Being more active over winter could also have negative impacts on our species life expectancy- using up energy reserves when they would normally be brumating. Food sources will be scarce over the winter months, so feeding becomes harder.

You can help us in our research by uploading your sightings of frogspawn or any amphibians and reptiles on our free Dragon Finder App – these records help us learn more about how our changing climate affects our species.

What our animals are doing this month

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