2nd February 2012

WEST DORSET: Frogs jump to life

By Trevor Bevins

Frogs ought to be freezing in February – but this year they are beginning to spawn throughout Dorset.

Dorset Wildlife Trust says evidence of unseasonably early activity is everywhere.

Large numbers of frogs and newts have already been seen at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Urban Wildlife Centre, suggesting that it’s time to look out for the first spawn in your garden pond.

Steve Davis, Volunteering Manager at Dorset Wildlife Trust, was checking the ponds last week after an evening event when he saw two frogs surrounded by up to 50 smooth newts.

He said: “The larger pond had lots of frog activity including a very large frog that looked ready to spawn. Driving home I had to stop twice to let frogs hop out in front of me. When I got home there was a frog sat in my parking space.”

He says that frogs sometime hide at the bottom of a pond or burrow into mud or a pile of logs, as do newts, so they can maintain their body temperature and metabolic rate when food and heat sources are scarce.

But even if you do find early frog spawn only around one in 50 of the eggs will become a froglet, with pond predators including fish, dragonfly larvae and newts to contend with.

Those that do become froglets could then face garden predators such as grass snakes, blackbirds, crows, magpies, hedgehogs, foxes and badgers.

Steve Davis advises against moving frogs, which will naturally find suitable ponds: “By picking up any amphibians you are potentially spreading diseases and also there might be very good reasons why some ponds do not have amphibians.”

The trust say that garden ponds are increasingly important for the survival of frogs, toads and newts, and digging a garden pond is one of the best ways to help wildlife.

WEST DORSET: Frogs jump to life

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