Froglife

Leaping forward for reptiles and amphibians

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march

What our animals are doing this month…

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Does it feel like Spring to you? It definitely does to us Froglifers and I think our amphibians and reptiles can feel it too.

In March we will have hopefully seen some common frogs and common toads but now that it is April, we will start to see more of our newt species. In Scotland you will be more likely to spot a palmate newt, this is because they like the acidity of Scottish waters. Adult palmate newts typically have no pigment under their chin, but do have a yellow underside. During breeding season, the males develop black webbing on their back feet and a filament at the tip of their tail. Palmate newts can often be seen in April and will be most active from late afternoon to midnight.

Another newt species you might spot is the smooth newt. This species is the UK’s most widespread and if you live in England, you are more likely to spot a smooth newt than a palmate newt. Adult smooth newts have a bright yellow or orange belly with black spots, and their skin is varying shades of grey or brown. In the breeding season males develop a wavy crest along their back which females will look at and judge when deciding who to mate with. The smooth newt will be seen moving towards the water in April during night-time and particularly after heavy rainfall. In April and May, the species will be at their highest in terms of numbers.

Remember to report your amphibian and reptile sightings (including eggs and spawn) on our free Dragonfinder app. You can download it here.

What our animals are doing this month…

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This month we’re talking about one of our native reptile species. Adults are usually 60-80cm in length and have a stocky body. Females are generally a light brown with dark brown markings, whilst males are generally grey with black markings. This species has a zigzag pattern down the centre of the back and a ‘V’ or ‘X’ shaped marking on their head. Have you guessed what it is yet? Yes, it is the Adder!  

This fascinating species is the UK’s only venomous snake, and they are found throughout the UK, even in the far north of Scotland – although they are not found in Ireland. You might struggle to spot Adders due to their camouflaged markings; they can certainly go unnoticed.

Adders emerge from hibernation in March/April and then mating will take place in April/May. The male Adder is territorial and to compete for females, males will often ‘dance’ a duel!

In March as they emerge, they will be hungry so have to start hunting for food. Adders are mostly active in the day, and this is when hunting takes place. They will hunt small mammals, amphibians, insects and even birds. The Adder will kill its prey with its venomous bite and then swallow the prey whole!

What our animals are doing this month….

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March is often a good month to spot common toads as they migrate from their overwintering sites to breeding ponds, particularly on warm, damp evenings. Every year they return to the same pond via the same route, but they can get into trouble if humans build along these routes. Roads in particular can make this migration dangerous, but our wonderful volunteer Toad Patrollers are working hard to reduce this risk by helping common toads safely cross roads along their migration routes.

Once they arrive at breeding ponds, males grasp onto the backs of females forming an amplexus, allowing the male to fertilise her eggs as she lays them. Mating balls often form where multiple males hold onto one female, and unfortunately this can sometimes end up with the female being drowned. However, many female toads do survive and successfully breed, producing a new generation of common toads! Unlike common frogs which lay their eggs in clumps, common toads lay their eggs in long strings wrapped around pond vegetation, so you may have to look a little closer to spot the toad spawn!

To find out more about toad patrols take a look at our website. 

A pair of common toads in amplexus during the breeding season

What our animals are doing this month… March 2020

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March is usually a good time to see our common toads migrating towards their breeding ponds, although the weather and temperature are strong factors for when that happens from year to year.

Toads mostly travel by night so the best time to observe them is at dusk and before dawn. Then once at the pond, the peak of mating and spawning is most likely to occur at or close to a full moon.

Males tend to arrive first at the breeding ponds, with females and smaller males appearing later.  It is common for some males to await the arrival of the females on land surrounding the pond, which leads to many females arriving with males already in amplexus (where the males use specially developed, rough pads on the first two digits of their forefeet to grasp and hold onto the backs of females).

Unfortunately this obvious eagerness to breed and a high male-to-female ratio can lead to mating balls as pictured.  This can even lead to fatal results in some cases with individuals in the centre drowning if the ball is not broken up.  In happier circumstances breeding and spawning takes place, with common toad spawn being laid in strings with rows of two eggs – often wrapped around plants in the pond.

A mating ball of three males and one female common toad.  ©Charlotte Pearson