new member with a question about toads

[ToadLover]

Hi, hope I am in the right forum,

I am in Wood Green - dug myself a small frog pond last summer and now looking for spawn of toads or frogs. The images I can find online seem to look like masses of tiny eggs. I have seen instead what look like 2 or 3 individual eggs floating apart, about 2-3mm in diameter. Is this how they start out?

Thanks,

Hali

[Dogghound]

Frogspawn is layed in clumps with hundreds of eggs per clump. What you describe sounds asif its either broken up (possibly predated) or is something else. Toads lay their eggs in strings but generally avoid small ponds.

[werdnal]

No expert, but you are probably looking at something else. I am in Cornwall and posted my "First spawn" thread a few days ago. Several members here replied that they have not yet seen any. As our climate down here is somewhat milder than the rest of the country, although there is a chance that frogs are spawning in your area, it seems a bit early, bearing in mind the cold weather we have had this year and just before Christmas.

As said above, frog spawn is usually a large mass of eggs with individual jelly, and toads lay strings, like a string of beads.

Keep an eye on what you have as there is a chance it is frog spawn, but I think it unlikely. Keep watching though, because as soon as the weather warms up, no doubt your local frogs will be grateful for your new pond!

[healfdan]

Early frog spawn is not always successful, often lacks buoyancy and falls to the bottom of the pond. Occasionally individual embryos will become detached and this could be what you are seeing. I would suggest you gently run your net along the bottom of your pond to see if there are further signs of the spawn.

[ToadLover]

thanks everyone. I now seem to have a some small blobs of what look like "spit bubbles". I have not seen a frog in our garden since we moved in over 5 years ago, but the previous occupant of our flat said he there had been a frog that frequented a bucket full of rain water that he kept back there. I will keep watching in hope. Hali

[nightshade]

If i have it right this link should take you to photos of Frog and Toad Spawn
Message - Wildlife Photography