Subterranean Frog

Johnny Redgate · #1 (**permalink**) 03-01-2011, 04:36 PM

I was exploring Potter's Pit, an old mine, in Shropshire yesterday with Shrops Bat Group counting hibernating bats. This was fun. About 100yds in and maybe 30ft below the entrance passage down a steep climb and slope I found a healthy frog. Although the entrance passage was flooded to 1.5ft deep there was no flow of water into the area I saw the frog. Will frogs regularly venture this far underground and what are the chances of it returning to the surface? I've done a bit of caving (Britain only so not expecting any cave salamanders!) in the past and don't think I've seen amphibians quite so far in before.

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 09:20 AM

Yes it will be overwintering here due to it being quite sheltered. Frogs dont require water all of the time just to breed. Although they do ned to stay moist. It is likely that it will be able to get out the way it got in.

Johnny Redgate · #3 (**permalink**) 04-01-2011, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yes it will be overwintering here due to it being quite sheltered. Frogs dont require water all of the time just to breed. Although they do ned to stay moist. It is likely that it will be able to get out the way it got in.

Yes, I suppose so. What seemed interesting was that the frog (to my eyes anyway) was well beyond the point of total darkness and beyond the cold of the entrance passage. My point about the lack of water was to indicate that it hadn't been washed in.