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Celebrating Save The Frogs Day with Froglife

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Every year on 28th April, people around the world come together to celebrate Save The Frogs Day, the largest global day dedicated to amphibian conservation and education.

At Froglife, this day is especially close to our hearts. Frogs and other amphibians are vital to healthy ecosystems, acting as both predators and prey, and even serving as indicators of environmental health. When frogs are struggling, it’s often a sign that something isn’t right in our wider environment.

Why frogs need our help

In the UK and beyond, frogs face a growing number of threats. Habitat loss, particularly the disappearance of ponds, remains one of the biggest challenges. Pollution, pesticides, road mortality, and disease are also putting increasing pressure on populations.

These challenges may sound daunting, but the good news is that everyone can play a part in protecting frogs, and Save The Frogs Day is the perfect moment to start.

How you can make a difference

At Froglife, we believe small actions can have a big impact. Here are a few meaningful ways you can support frogs in the UK:

  • Become a Froglife Friend
    Support our conservation work year-round by signing up as a Froglife Friend. Your contribution helps us create and restore habitats, run community projects, and protect amphibians (and reptiles) across the UK.
  • Sponsor a frog
    Looking for a unique and impactful gift? Our “Sponsor a Frog” package help fund vital conservation work while raising awareness of these incredible animals.
  • Speak up for clean water
    Clean, healthy waterways are essential for frogs to thrive. By contacting your MP through the Clean Water Now campaign, you can help push for stronger protections for our rivers, ponds and wetlands.

A shared future for frogs and people

Save The Frogs Day is more than a celebration, it’s a call to action. Amphibians have been part of our planet for millions of years, but today they are among the most threatened groups of animals on Earth.

By taking action, whether that’s supporting conservation, raising awareness, or speaking up for cleaner water, we can all help ensure frogs continue to thrive in the UK and beyond. This Save The Frogs Day, join Froglife in making a difference. Because when we protect frogs, we protect the health of our whole environment

What our animals are doing this month

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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.

On The Brink – Britain’s most vulnerable Amphibians and Reptiles

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Written by Charles Bonnett, Transforming Lives Trainee. 

Many species across this country – and the wider world – are experiencing population declines. Reptiles and amphibians are no different, as 4 out of Britain’s 13 reptiles and amphibians are considered under threat of extinction. In this vein, let’s take a brief look at our rarest amphibian and reptile.

Northern pool frog

Pool frogs are our rarest amphibians; not only that, but they are also the most vulnerable out of our 13 reptiles and amphibians. They were presumed extinct in 1995 but have since been reintroduced in East Anglia from pool frog populations in Sweden. Similarly to common frogs, male pool frogs are around 6cm in length, with the larger female reaching up to 9cm. They are generally brown or green in colour, with a cream or yellow dorsal stripe, and have a pair of ridges along their back. A distinct feature of the pool frog is their vocal sacs found on the sides of a male’s mouth, which can produce a loud call during breeding season.

Rare ponds named ‘pingo’s’ (the result of glacial activity during the last ice age) are their favoured habitat for breeding, and therefore the succession and destruction of these landscape features has contributed to the decline of the pool frog.

Smooth snake

Image Credit: Matt Wilson

Smooth snakes are our rarest reptile. Not only are they uncommon, but they are incredibly secretive animals, rarely basking in the open. Their name is derived from their scales, which are smooth in comparison to the keeled scales of their counterparts, the grass snake and adder. Adults reach about 60-70cm in length, with females often being the larger sex. They possess quite an understated colouring, consisting of grey and brown, with a distinctive eye stripe extending from the eyes across the side of the head. 

As rare as the smooth snake themselves, is their favoured habitat. They are restricted to heathland primarily in Dorset and Hampshire. They prefer mature heathland vegetation, which can provide suitable cover and a supply of food. Unfortunately, heathland habitat suffers from degradation, due primarily to development, farming, human activity, and natural succession. All these factors impede upon the already diminished smooth snake’s habitat.

Despite the difficulties our amphibians and reptiles are facing, there are many ongoing amazing projects and initiatives with the intent to aid the survival of these animals. As time progresses, we will surely need to stay vigilant regarding the health of reptiles and amphibians and their habitats.

Every little helps, so if you spot any amphibians and reptiles whilst out and about, consider recording them on our free Dragon Finder app.

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. 

Amphibians In Urban Environments

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Written by Kaitlin Oliver, Transforming Lives Trainee

Amphibians in urban environments face a range of challenges due to the altered habitat, pollution and human activities associated with urbanization.

Urban development often involves the destruction of natural habitats which lead to the loss of breeding and feeding grounds for amphibians. Additionally, any remaining natural areas can become fragmented with lakes and woodlands being closed off by housing, making it difficult for amphibians to move between suitable habitats. This can lead to isolated populations and reduced genetic diversity, causing inbreeding.

Amphibians heavily rely on aquatic environments for breeding and larval development. Urban environments can expose amphibians to various forms of pollution, including chemical pollutants from runoff, air pollution and noise pollution. Amphibians have permeable skin that makes them sensitive to pollutants, leading to developmental deformities, immune system suppression and reduced reproductive success. Urban areas often have altered water bodies like unhealthy ponds, ditches and drainage systems that may be contaminated with pollutants, have fluctuating water levels, or lack suitable vegetation. These conditions can negatively impact amphibian survival rate and their larval survival.

Amphibians such as frogs and toads rely on using water sources such as lakes, rivers, forest ponds and garden ponds. Newts especially rely on healthy ponds to breed in. If you have space, adding a pond to your garden will not only help amphibians, but will also massively improve the lives of a variety of wildlife. Froglife has a booklet that you can download called ‘Just add water’ on our website if you are interested in building a pond suitable for amphibians.

Designing urban infrastructure with consideration for amphibians can make a significant difference. For example, creating artificial wetlands, amphibian-friendly green roofs, creating wildlife corridors, maintaining natural water bodies, implementing wildlife-friendly landscaping practices and constructing road barriers or tunnels to reduce road mortality can all provide fantastic habitats and mitigate the impacts of urbanization.

Citizen science is very important as it can help monitor the health and distribution of amphibians. If you have a pond that amphibians breed in or visit, please use our free Dragon Finder App to report your sightings. Roads and vehicles pose a significant threat to amphibians in urban areas, so another way you can help amphibians is through the Toads on Roads project, where you assist toads in your area with their spring migration journey crossing roads.

Urbanization poses numerous challenges for our declining populations of amphibians, however, there are opportunities for conservation and education. By implementing thoughtful planning, mitigation measures, and public engagement, it’s possible to create more amphibian-friendly urban landscapes and help protect these vital components of biodiversity.

 

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