Frogs in trouble

[douglasclark5]

Hi all,

Thanks for the warm welcome

I think I have Rana Temporia in my nature pond. Have frogs with limbs missing below the knee, and others that are very thin and slow getting about.

Is this a bigger problem than usual this year? As we have not had it other years.

The tadpoles seem o.k.. Hope it will not pass to them when they get there legs.

Bye

Doug

My First thread hope it o.k. for a first attempt

[Dogghound]

Rana temporia is the common frog. It sounds like there is a lack of food for the them which would explain the lethargic behaviour and the thin bodies although food should not be an issue at this time of year. As for the missing limbs i am unsure, it also sounds like there could possibly a parasite attacking the frogs in the pond creating there appearance.

the post was fine welcome to the forum

[douglasclark5]

Thankyou Dogghound for replying to my frogs in trouble.

[Dogghound]

also is there anything going into the pond? such as garden chemicals? or tap water?

[douglasclark5]

No, I only use pure rain water. water is very clear, with plenty of healthy weed. fros have easy exit from pond for feeding, with wild hedgerow near.

[Dogghound]

it is a bit strange isnt it, is there lots of frogs with limbs missing? are there any dead ones? there was another post by newtenstein about newts dying in their pond, the conclusion was it was due to pollution from a new water tank which collected the rainwater and chemicals in the plastic got into the water then the pond. Could this be happening in your pond?

[shyfx]

This maybe a shot in the dark here,but can frogs get inbred.Just a though.Would that cause limb deformities

[Dogghound]

yes but due to the amount of actual individuals that reach sexual maturity from each group of offspring its highly unlikely this would occur.

[douglasclark5]

I have an e-mail from a yorkshire nature group who think it maybe 'red-leg' an infection that causes septiceasmia and limb loss.

[GazNewt]

I had a massive red leg outbreak last year in my pond after spending two days re-lining it. I didn't see any limbs missing but the frogs were lethargic in the early stages of this illness with little or no visible sores. Then the sores come which are usually around the legs or face, tho I've seen them all over the body. Quite large open sores, pinkish in colour.

In the advanced stages it seemed too painful for the frogs to move which is probably why they go thin. They either drown in the pond or die from septicemia. Awful

My only experience of frogs with limbs missing was a three frog mating embrace in march which must have been too big for a herons mouth. The frog in the middle had a limb missing at the knee and a puncture wound in it's side out of which loops of intestines were coming out.

I have pictures of that one. I'm sure I also have pictures of the red leg affected frogs I can dig some out if it helps