Frog
Britain's most familiar amphibian will make its home almost anywhere, as long as a suitable breeding site is nearby.
Frogs are as common to garden ponds as they are to woodland streams, and nearly every British school child is confidently acquainted with frogspawn and the growth cycle of the tadpole.
More than 4,000 species of frog live across the globe, but the one found in Britain is somewhat disparagingly known as the Common Frog (Rana temporaria). The pet of primary school projects and fairy tale legends (kiss a frog and you will find a prince) is largely terrestrial outside of the breeding season and can be found lurking among tall plants in meadows and woodland. On warm, damp evenings they emerge to hunt their invertebrate prey, which they catch with a long and sticky tongue. In the spring, frogs become aquatic. They breed in any area of still, shallow water, including puddles, ponds, streams, lakes and canals.
Frogs are cold-blooded and unable to function when the outside temperature drops too low. Most species benefit from a kind of natural antifreeze system, but frogs native to especially cold climates can even survive being frozen solid. Common frogs hibernate throughout the winter either under logs on land or at the muddy bottom of a pond. Frogs are able to breathe through their skin and can therefore happily spend several months underwater, beneath piles of mud or leaves.
Frogspawn
Frogspawn is the name given for the clump of eggs laid by frogs. It is a jelly-like substance, and if you look closely you will see that every egg has a tiny white dot in it. This is the developing frog.
The time it takes for frogspawn to develop varies between a couple of weeks and a few months, with temperature being a contributory factor. The black dots first elongate and take on an eel like appearance before turning into true tadpoles, and then froglets. Once the tadpoles have emerged from the frogspawn they will eat it before moving onto other food sources.
It is estimated that a female frog can lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time, although few of these will survive to become frogs.
Find out more about amphibians and reptiles
Facts
Appearance: Frogs have a sturdy body with strong back legs and webbed toes (to help them swim). Usual colours are green, brown and yellow, but colouration is extremely variable and sightings of pink, orange and even albino frogs have been reported. The skin of a common frog is very smooth and generally covered with irregular dark blotches. Eyes and nostrils are positioned on the top of the frog's head, so they can see and breathe (through their nose) when the rest of their body is underwater
Size: 6-10cm. Females are usually slightly larger than males
Weight: Approximately 22 grams
Lifespan: Up to 8 years in the wild
Diet: Adult frogs feed on moving invertebrates such as insects, snails, worms and slugs. Tadpoles are herbivorous and feed only on algae
Family: Ranidae
Did you know?
- Some frog species can cover distances up to 20 times the length of their own body in a single leap
- Frogs are beneficial to humans as they eat a lot of insect pests
- If a frog is disturbed it may jump into a puddle or pond and hide underwater
- The Pool Frog is the only other frog species native to Britain. Unfortunately studies suggest this species may have died out - but there is still hope that some individuals remain
- You can help the UK frog population by creating the kind of habitat they need in your garden. They are likely to come and visit!
contact us
print page
Bookmark with: