Froglife

Leaping forward for reptiles and amphibians

You are here: Home / Archives for Amphibians

Amphibians

What our animals are doing this month….

by

December is a quiet month for British amphibians and reptiles. All of our native species brumate during the winter, meaning they are dormant with occasional periods of foraging during warmer spells. Amphibians and reptiles overwinter in different habitats, but warm, safe spots such as log piles and compost heaps are often popular choices.

Male common frogs may choose a riskier overwintering strategy. They sometimes decide to overwinter at the bottom of a pond, buried into the mud. This can be a good option as they are unlikely to be disturbed or predated upon, however it can be very dangerous if oxygen levels get too low. Frogs can absorb oxygen through their skin underwater and can tolerate very low levels of oxygen, but they will die under anoxic conditions. However, if there are native oxygenating plants in the pond, then this should ensure sufficient oxygen flow.

Common frogs can also survive if a pond partially freezes, but not if it freezes entirely. As a general rule, ponds with a maximum depth of at least 60cm are safe, but any shallower and there is a high risk of it completely freezing over.

It is a COP OUT!

by

Froglife shares the frustration of many of our supporters that World Leaders did not set binding targets to keep global temperature rises below 1.5 degrees at COP26. We keep saying it is time to stop talking and to take action, yet once again World Leaders failed to do this. Reptiles and amphibians are disproportionately impacted by climate change and global warming. Here we are in November, approaching winter in the UK, and due to the mild weather, we are still receiving reports of amphibians spawning.  They should be hibernating and as they are not they will not have stored sufficient energy for the effort of spawning next spring. We cannot reach the 1.5 degrees unless we address the many other elements that are having a negative impact on climate such as coal mining.

Our leaders may have let us down and not taken negotiations far enough but so many more people are now on board and we have to take this movement further to push our governments to do more. 

We want to reassure all of our supporters that Froglife will continue with the battle to conserve the UKs reptile and amphibian species.  We will, through our extensive programme of habitat works, continue to create and restore vital habitats for the species that we represent.  We will continue our work in engaging with wide ranging audiences in order to ensure that as many people as possible can help us with this battle.

We appreciate the huge support that we got from our supporters leading up to and during COP26 and we will harness this support. We want to thank all of those who sent in their messages to world leaders. We are pleased with the outcome from the stand that we had in the green zone at COP26, where we certainly raised awareness of the importance of smaller freshwater habitats (ponds, ditches, small lakes and lochs).  We are thrilled to have heard from so many people who took direct action by building ponds and improving habitats to help our reptiles and amphibians.

We are better together and if COP26 highlighted one thing it is the global concern about climate change and urgency to stop the destruction of our world.  We cannot wait any longer for the 1.5 degrees target to be reached.  We must collectively continue to ensure that we reach this target.

Our stand in the Green Zone at COP26

Blog: Ben Harris- Climate Change

by

With Froglife’s attendance at COP26 quickly approaching, my thoughts have been directed towards the impact of climate change on our native reptile and amphibian species. Climate change has always loomed in my mind as the other ugly sibling of biodiversity loss, but it is the one I have never really given enough attention to, and certainly the one I understand less about. I imagine it is my line of work in habitat management and public engagement that has led to this bias; it has always seemed more pressing to me to focus on improving the plight of our dwindling wildlife, whether through good land management or working with the public to increase awareness.  However, I know the two are inextricably linked and we cannot work on solving one of these issues without considering the other.

Dunford and Berry’s (2012) paper is an illuminating report on the effects climate change might have on the UK’s herpetofauna. The predictions on how the range and populations of certain species are mixed, but by and large the prognosis is poor if climate change continues on its current trajectory. Both reptiles and amphibians rely heavily on specific features within their environment, and even small changes in their habitat caused by climate change might have an impact. For example ponds, areas for thermoregulation, hibernation spots, and places to lay eggs are all needed within reasonable distance of each other to support different species. Whilst climate change will likely result in the disappearance of some of these features outright, it will also degrade them as well. It is this in particular that I want to explore: habitat degradation and how we can mitigate it in habitat management.

Recently, I have seen a lot of media coverage on the benefits of rewilding and restoring natural ecological processes. It is refreshing to see such public interest in environmental conservation, but I do worry that the continued need for talented land management is being overlooked. Where possible, rewilding of our native species should be explored and encouraged, but in some cases it is an idealistic pursuit. Many of our species, particularly reptiles and amphibians, rely on habitat in varying states of mid-succession (such as areas of long grass and scrub), and in many places it is only feasible to create and maintain these through artificial means. When we add climate change to the mix, land managers are now going to have to deal with even more problems and interactions than they currently do, and it is clear to me that we will still require excellent habitat management to deal with less than ideal quality. An example would be at Hampton Nature Reserve, a 300 acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and home to all of the widespread UK reptiles and a variety of amphibians. We manage the land here in such a way that it is still valuable for these species. Without the annual pond clearances and coppicing, the mosaic of water bodies which make it such a valuable habitat would cease to exist, and climate change would just accelerate his.

As habitat degrades due to climate change, reptiles and amphibians will also need to be able to move throughout the landscape to seek better alternatives. Although climate change might not directly affect habitat connectivity, it will certainly make it even more important than it already is. Reptiles in particular are notoriously poor colonisers, and even now, species such as the adder live in isolated pockets without the potential for movement. Again, it is down to land managers and owners to work in partnership with one another and invent creative and diplomatic ways of reconnecting our fragmented countryside. I hope COP26 will highlight the need to commit to greener economic solutions and move away from carbon-based energy sources, and by doing so we can perhaps avoid the worst of climate change. But the effects are already having an impact on our native wildlife and we will still require continued investment in habitat management to mitigate it.

 

Remember, Remember the toads this November!

by

As we do every November, Froglife is reminding people to thoroughly check their bonfires for wildlife before lighting them…

At this time of year, toads, frogs and newts are all looking for somewhere safe and frost-free to see out the winter. A big pile of logs, leaves and twigs may be the ingredients for a perfect bonfire, but they’re also an ideal hiding place for amphibians, hedgehogs and all sorts of other garden inhabitants.
Here are a few tips to make help make your celebrations more wildlife-friendly:

  • Collect your wood and other bonfire materials in a separate place to where you’ll be having the bonfire, and move them just before you want to light the fire, ideally as late in the day as possible.  If you’re going to an organised event you could get in touch beforehand and ask if they need any help searching for uninvited guests!
  • If you do come across any animals, just transfer them to a similar habitat in another part of the garden. They may be a little disorientated but the disturbance won’t do them any harm.
  • Just before lighting, have a last check through with a torch and then ensure the fire is only lit from one side so anything left within has the chance to escape.
  • Try to burn only clean, untreated wood on your bonfire, with no nasty varnish, paint or plastics so you don’t release toxic chemicals in the smoke

You could create a permanent log and leaf pile specifically for frogs, toads, newts, lizards, hedgehogs and other creatures to hide in over winter in a quiet corner of the garden.  Other wildlife-friendly features include compost heaps and rockeries. Find out more here.

Don’t forget if you do spot any amphibians or reptiles to use our Dragon Finder App to help identify and record your sightings!

So, have fun this fireworks night but remember what might be buried in your bonfire!

Froglife’s role at COP26: The world’s last, and best chance to get climate change under control.

by

The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.  Many believe this is the world’s last, and best chance to get climate change under control.  Each day 8 NGOs from around the world have been invited to have a stall in the Green Zone of the event that delegates and members of the public can visit.  Froglife is honoured to have been selected as one of these organisations and will be attending on Monday 1st November.

We want to share this opportunity to have our voice heard by asking you to send us your messages for world leaders 

What is it?

COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow in November 2021. COP comprises 197 countries (known as parties) which signed the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convent on Climate Change) in 1994. COP member countries are encouraged to set ambitious climate targets in order to combat climate change. At COP26 these targets will be reviewed and debated, and decisions made on what actions need to be taken.

Why is it important?

COP26 is important because it facilitates a global assessment of the climate crisis, and monitors the climate actions (or lack thereof) of member countries. It is also an opportunity to inspire climate action both amongst world leaders and the general public, and enables new solutions to be discussed and debated.

What is Froglife doing?

Climate change poses a huge threat to amphibians and reptiles.  The UK Government must set binding targets to keep global temperature rises to below 1.5°C.  Froglife, in collaboration with The British Dragonfly Society, is one of a few organisations that have been selected to run an Exhibition Stall in the Green Zone on November 1st. The aim of our stall is to highlight the importance of ponds as carbon sinks and for biodiversity, and encourage people to take action by creating their own garden ponds.

Our stall will be created from sustainable materials.  We will offer a model pond activity using re-purposed containers filled with water, and a selection of pond props which attendees can use to create ‘good’ and ‘bad’ wildlife ponds. We will have a third mini-pond filled with your messages which people can ‘pond dip’ for.  These messages will also be displayed on screens at the event and with participants accessing the event online around the world.

In addition to our pond activities, we will be highlighting the issues of habitat fragmentation and road mortality using our VR video of a toad trying to migrate to its breeding pond.

Your messages to world leaders

We want you to send us your messages to share with world leaders and participants from around the world at COP26, so we can help make their voices heard. The messages can be any comments, opinions or ideas you have relating to climate change.  Messages featuring amphibians and reptiles and their habitats are encouraged!

Submitting your sightings is now quicker and easier

by

Froglife’s new and improved Dragon Finder app is here.  The app helps you to identify amphibians and reptiles, find out more about individual species and submit a record of your sighting.  Collecting records is a vital first step in wildlife conservation.  This data provides the evidence needed to protect important sites and alert us to population declines.  

Dragon Finder app users will find all the great features of the original version but now with a simpler process for submitting your records, many technical improvements and compatibility with recent models of mobile phones.  Existing users will simply be asked to update the app the next time they open it.

Froglife submit all the records collected through the Dragon Finder app to the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) to be shared publicly on the NBN Atlas.  Many of the improvements that we’ve made to the app and supporting database mean that the records are now in better shape to be submitted to this platform and local biodiversity record centres.  In short this means that the records you submit are now even more valuable.

The Dragon Finder App was first launched in 2014 and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Amphibians and reptiles are the most threatened species globally and also the least recorded.  For successful conservation of these fascinating creatures we need to understand their national distribution and population trends. 

Froglife’s CEO, Kathy Wormald says “We are delighted to be launching this much needed new version of the app.  To support Froglife’s work conserving UK amphibians and reptiles we ask everyone to download the app and submit their sightings”.

Find out more