Reptile/amphibian of the day

Kayleigh · #81 (**permalink**) 22-04-2011, 06:55 PM

Have you got a pump in there Deb it looks like they are going with the flow..
Great video..
I separated the toad and the frog but they are back stuck together so I will leave them alone.

Deb London · #82 (**permalink**) 22-04-2011, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I don't know what side of town you live but both Rainham RSPB Reserve + the London Wetland Centre are both superb sites to see/hear Marsh Frogs. My partner was at the latter site today + said they were very vocal + saw some. Also at LWC there are thriving introduced populations of Grass Snakes, Slow Worms + Common Lizards.

Cheers aeshna.

I do like the LWC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Have you got a pump in there Deb it looks like they are going with the flow..
Great video..
I separated the toad and the frog but they are back stuck together so I will leave them alone.

Oh dear, they sound like they are in lurve.

Re. the vid, thanks. No pump, that's taddy power!

aeshna5 · #83 (**permalink**) 23-04-2011, 05:43 PM

Yesterday I heard plenty of Marsh Frogs at Bedfont CP but they eluded me.

Today at Rainham I saw good numbers with the males laying at the surface amongst pondweed + inflating their vocal sacs producing that amazing cackle. Quite variable in appearance, one individual had a green dorsal stripe.

In one patch of damp soil with small puddles near a ditch were about 7 youngsters of I'm guessing 1 + 2 year old individuals.

Quite a few Herons + Little Egrets about which are partial to these amphibians.

aeshna5 · #84 (**permalink**) 25-04-2011, 12:51 PM

Today at Ruislip I saw the rear half of a Grass Snake that had been basking under some bramble. A friend with me saw 3 but they didn't hang about.

Also had a Common Toad under a large piece of bark I turned over.

sunnydale · #85 (**permalink**) 26-04-2011, 07:54 AM

Not taken today - but I just managed a couple of quick shots of a Common Lizard scurrying around in long grass at the foot of Shutlinsloe (aka the Cheshire Matterhorn).

He was rather fast, hence the rubbish shots!

I've seen lots of these on my travels but rarely manage to capture one on camera!

Tracey

froggy · #86 (**permalink**) 26-04-2011, 03:37 PM

Picture of one of the frogs from the 'Frog mating frenzy' I had forty loads of spawn last month, but now after the ducks got in and had there fill, there were few left and the newts have eaten the rest. I have now bought some strong netting and secured it with bamboo poles so next year the ducks will not get in the pond. The frogs and newts have now become used to me going to see them every day and i now have a feeding frenzy in the evenings, i dig up earthworms for them and they can be hand fed to the larger frogs. When i approach the pond all the frogs turn to look at me to see if i have any food for them and a couple of them climb out onto the rocks to be first in the queue, even the newts make an appearance when they see the feeding frenzy, and they are easy to feed also. I noticed on another thread somebody saying they wanted to keep newts as pets, all they need to do is keep visiting there pond every day and the frogs and newts will become used to seeing people and will soon lose there fear and then voila, they become wildlife pets. Its great to just lay next to the pond just watching them, very relaxing.