how do frogs find their pond

[tinca]

Over the years i have hears a few different answers to this but here is a occurance that may shed some light. my dad relined his pond a few years ago and the old liner was used as a weed barrier in one of his shrubberies covered in wood chips.
i was in his garden looking at the frogs in his pond and he said that he had been moving spawn to the pond from his old liner each year since he had moved it so i went to look sure enough loads of frogs where on the old liner and in the depressions that had 1-2 inches of rain water in them frog spawn ! the first spawning season had resulted in loads on the liner and not much in the pond but by transferring the new pond seems to be colonised. The only thing we could think of was the smell of the old pond remained in and under the liner and so attracted the frogs could be why they keep turning up when a pond has been filled in.

[bran goesgoch]

Interesting theory.

[toadpole]

Fascinating i think you have hit on something there ...i know somebody who filled in a pond when they moved into their new house and each year the frogs still lay spawn on the same spot...where it was laid to lawn ...they have to put it in a bucket and take it to the local pond ...thank goodness they bother to do that .. alot of people wouldn't .Marion

[Back]

Interesting, and very puzzling. I assume this behaviour will die out eventually, as the parent frogs "croak" (sorry, couldn't resist )?

[BloomingMarvellous]

I was always made to believe that Frogs didn't wander too far from the original pond. It makes sense really, when a new pond is built, it doesn't take long for the Frogs to find it.

[toadpole]

made me laugh anyway

[toadpole]

Originally Posted by Back

Interesting, and very puzzling. I assume this behaviour will die out eventually, as the parent frogs "croak" (sorry, couldn't resist )?

made me laugh anyway

[Malx]

Originally Posted by tinca

sure enough loads of frogs where on the old liner and in the depressions that had 1-2 inches of rain water in them frog spawn !

I agree that on the face of it it would make sense that they might manage to re-trace the old spawning-grounds, and will orientate towards the smell of their former homestead.

The tuppenny answer though, might simply be that the ancient pond liner still captures water, and provides a decent spawning ground for all and sundry. A lesson to us all to sink a few more puddles into our gardens, where appropriate.