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Amphibians

Preparing for Spring

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Written by Ellia Cobb, Transforming Lives Trainee. 

It’s almost springtime again! Reptiles and amphibians will be getting ready to come out of their brumation and begin their breeding season, so what can you do to help them? If you have a wildlife pond at home it is important to finish up any pond maintenance you might want to do before the weather starts to warm up. Disturbing breeding and egg-laying amphibians can be very harmful, so ensuring good pond maintenance is essential.

Preparing your wildlife pond for spring is a simple task as they don’t require much work. Cutting back reed and grass from the pond if it is too overgrown to allow more sunlight in can hugely benefit the pond, but remember to leave enough for the breeding amphibians! Another thing you can do is remove leaf litter and sediment build up from the pond to prevent a decrease in the water quality, but this should be done before spring. Anything that is removed should be left by the pond for a few days just in case any wildlife remains inside of it, this gives them time to make their way back to the water (please see our Just Add Water guide for further tips). 

Newts need vegetation to lay their eggs and toads and frogs need a safe place to lay their spawn away from predators.

The changing weather can be quite confusing for amphibians so it isn’t uncommon for them to start breeding earlier than expected, so don’t be alarmed if you spot any spawn or eggs quite early on. You do not need to move or disturb them. Newts need vegetation to lay their eggs and toads and frogs need a safe place to lay their spawn away from predators, so providing native pond plants and safe places for them to hide before spring starts is the best idea.

As for reptiles bramble, compost heaps, log piles, gorse and wooded areas are all places they may choose to breed in. This means that any garden maintenance shouldn’t be done during this time to prevent disturbance and endangerment.

You can find further information on how to make your gardens more wildlife friendly in our Idea Zone. 

 

Awesome Amphibians

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Written by Chloe Davey, Transforming Lives Trainee

Usually when you ask someone what their favourite animal is, the answer is typically either some kind of mammal or reptile. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that as there are many amazing species all over the world. The popularity of these kinds of animals could possibly be due to ideologies pushed towards the public eye, influencing their views on certain animals for better or for worse. This means that amphibians are often overlooked except for frogs and axolotls whose popularity with the younger generation have risen greatly over the last few years. So, I would like to express what makes amphibians so wonderful. Why should they be given more love and recognition?

As we know, amphibians are cold-blooded vertebrates that live on land and in water. They cannot generate their own body heat, instead they rely on the temperature of their environment. They will bask in the rising sun, absorbing the warm rays and preparing them for the day ahead. Did you know that amphibians are an ancient species? It’s true! Amphibians have been around for 340 million years!

Amphibians from around the world can come in many beautiful, vibrant colours but this means they are also incredibly toxic! Despite not being very colourful though, our very own common toad has a toxin which is used to deter predators although grass snakes seem to be unaffected by it.

Life begins in the water as eggs, newts will fold plant leaves over their eggs for better protection from predators. Once they are born, they have gills which allow them to breathe underwater and a long tail to help them swim.

During development they have the amazing ability to metamorphose. This means they can change their body structure, how cool is that? They grow arms and legs which slowly replace the tail over time. Some amphibians, like newts for example, will continue to develop their tail. They develop lungs which allow them to breathe air, replacing gills. Even without gills though, amphibians have special skin that allows them to breathe underwater by absorbing the oxygen.

Currently there are over 8,200 known species worldwide. Sadly, there are around 2,490 that are classified as endangered. I’m grateful that in the UK we have seven species of our very own including frogs, toads and newts. It may not seem like much, but we should protect them while we still have the chance.

If you’d like to learn more about our native amphibians, check out our web page. 

Amphibian Adaptations to Extreme Environments

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Written by Kaitlin Oliver, Transforming Lives Trainee

Amphibians have the remarkable ability to live in some of the most extreme environments and being found everywhere on earth except Antarctica. From the dry deserts, to the perilous freezing temperatures in the Arctic. Amphibians are everywhere, so let me tell you about two that live in some of the most extreme environments.

Desert spadefoot toads are fascinating amphibians known for their unique adaptations that enable them to thrive in arid environments. They are found in deep sandy areas and will burrow underground using their spade-like hind feet, escaping the hot, dehydrating arid interior of Australia. These toads are nocturnal and will hunt a variety of invertebrates such as spiders and other small arthropods. During periods of heavy rainfall, these toads engage in explosive breeding events. Males call to attract females to temporary pools formed by rain. Remarkably the tadpoles of spadefoot toads have a short developmental period compared to other amphibians due to the temporary pool drying up quickly after rainfall.

Desert Spadefoot Toad- Credit- Angus McNab

From one extreme to another, we have the wood frog. Famous for its ability to survive freezing temperatures during winter by freezing themselves! As temperatures drop, these frogs enter a state of hibernation where their heart and breathing activities cease. About 70-80% of their body water can freeze, and they essentially become “frogsicles.” They can endure this frozen state for months, thawing out and resuming normal activity when temperatures rise. These nocturnal frogs can be found in boreal and deciduous forests and spend most of their lives on the forest floor but migrate to breeding ponds during the spring. Like spadefoot toad, wood frogs also partake in explosive breeding events where large groups gather at breeding ponds for a short period during the spring.

Wood Frog- Credit Brian Gratwicke

These adaptations showcase the incredible diversity of amphibians and their ability to thrive in a wide range of environments, from the hottest deserts to the coldest Arctic regions. Amphibians are truly amazing!

What Our Animals Are Doing This Month

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Written by Madeleine Barnes, Transforming Lives Trainee.

Drowsy December

As we bundle up at home to survive the chilly weather, so do reptiles and amphibians. As they are ectotherms (cold-blooded), heat is very important to their regular functions and so they ‘hibernate’ through the cold in cozy places such as hibernacula, log piles, hedgerows, the deepest areas of ponds, or under rocks and leaves. We won’t be seeing much of our species until next year.

Hibernation is a blanket term to describe the lowered activity of many species in the winter, but in the UK only 3 animals undergo true hibernation: bats, hedgehogs and dormice.

The species Froglife conserve overwinter or brumate, meaning they may become active for brief periods if the weather warms up. To help them out, avoid disturbing piles of natural matter (e.g. log, rocks, leaves) and if you are able to do so safely, clear the surface of frozen ponds from fallen leaves or snow to allow sunlight to reach the depths – this will allow submerged plants to photosynthesise and produce oxygen for any amphibians waiting out the winter down there!

You can find further tips on how to look after amphibians and reptiles during winter here.

If you spot any of our species out and about during winter, please remember to record them on our free Dragon Finder App. Data from the Dragon Finder App is crucial going forward to monitor the relationship between temperature changes and the behaviours of reptiles and amphibians in the UK.

Newt just for Christmas

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Written by Ellia Cobb, Transforming Lives Trainee. 

It’s that time of year again, Christmas is getting closer, and everyone is out Christmas shopping.

Has someone you know asked for a pet as a Christmas gift this year, maybe an amphibian or reptile? If so, please take into consideration the responsibility and dedication you will need for the animal. Especially if it is for a younger child as that means you are then responsible for that animal.

A bearded dragon. A popular pet.

Did you know many of the invasive non-native amphibian and reptile species we have here in the UK are the result of pets that had been released? Sometimes people can impulsively buy an animal they are not prepared to care for and end up thinking it is better to release it “back into the wild”. This could be a death sentence for the animal themselves or for our native wildlife as they either aren’t fit to survive in the wild, or the animal may be quite well suited to the environment here and end up pushing our native wildlife out of their habitats, eating their food and putting them at risk.

If the animals released start to breed it becomes a real problem, they become invasive very fast and can also destroy habitats, kill and eat native species of animals and insects, spread disease and can also kill native amphibians and reptiles.

Not all nonnative species are harmful to the environment, though this still doesn’t mean it is a good idea to release them! It is very important we do all we can to protect native amphibians and reptiles as they are very vulnerable.

If you are planning on gifting someone a pet this year, please make sure you do plenty of research and make sure you and the pet owner can be responsible to give the animal the proper care it needs.

Amphibian winterkill and how to prevent it

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Written by Jade Walton, Transforming Lives Trainee

As the weather gets colder, it becomes increasingly likely your garden wildlife pond will freeze over. Though at first thought this may not seem like much of an issue, this can be dangerous for the wildlife beneath the surface.

Whilst newts and toads tend to find other places to brumate (a process akin to hibernation), some frogs will choose to overwinter amongst the silt at the bottom of a pond. In regular conditions, this poses no threat to the frog, but should the pond freeze over for a prolonged period, it can become deadly.

It is thought the death of frogs overwintering in ponds is likely caused by a lack of oxygen in the water as sunlight is unable to reach plants and algae, making them unable to photosynthesise and oxygenate the water. Another theory is that gases are expelled by dead plant matter within the pond as it decomposes which are blocked from escaping into the air via the surface of the water. This may lead to a deadly build up of these toxic gases, causing ‘winterkill.

There are some ways, however, that you can minimise the risk of winterkill in your own pond. Make sure to brush any snow from the surface of your pond to give sunlight the chance to hit the ice. It is also thought to be a good idea to ensure there is always a hole in the ice to ensure gases can escape. This can be done by floating a tennis ball in your pond, preventing it from icing over fully, or by putting a container of hot water upon the ice to melt a hole in it.

It is not good practice to create a hole in the ice by force as the physical shock can harm the wildlife beneath, also be sure not to use chemicals or pour hot water directly onto the ice as this too can have a harmful impact on pond wildlife. And, of course, be sure that, when conducting these preventative measures, you do this in a safe, controlled manner.

With your help, the risk of winterkill in amphibians can likely be reduced in just a couple of steps.

Find more tips on what you can do for amphibians and reptiles this winter here. 

 

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