Frogs mating frenzy

froggy · #1 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 03:57 PM

Hi everyone, I have been reading the forum on amphibians for the last two months and joined today to tell you about my pond and the frog mating frenzy that took place this morning.I built the wildlife pond at the bottom of my garden in April 2009.It measures 1.5 meters long by 1 meter wide and varies in depth down to about 75cm deep in the middle.The liner is a flexible rubber one, held in place with large stones.I live in surrey next to the river Thames so the pond is about 30 meters from the river. Last March i had eight clumps of frogspawn laid in the pond and around twenty smooth newts mating in the pond also. This winter the pond was frozen solid and covered with snow for about three weeks. When it melted there were already frogs in the pond and all had survived the freezing winter weather.For the last week more frogs have arrived and i have also seen two newts in the water.This morning i found a mating frenzy taking place. I counted around eighty frogs before i lost count. The croaking was amazing.There were quite a few paired up, and the others were clambering about all over each over.It was amazing to see so many.I took lots of video footage and photos, and i will try to attach some pictures to this post.There has been no spawn yet. Oh, and i had to put netting over the pond because ducks come into the garden and go in the pond and they eat everything.

nightshade · #2 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 04:19 PM

Crikey that is an awful lot of Frogs, any idea of the ratio?
Our pond used to boil with spawning Frogs but as there were fish in there as well we had to watch out for Frogs mounting the fish and holding their gills shut. A visit by one (possibly more) Grass Snakes over a few years reduced their numbers to near extinction until this year when there are loads of spawn and frog song. As for the Ducks mind you don't slip up

froggy · #3 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 04:28 PM

I have added two pics to image library,Titled frog frenzy, and i will see if i can a link in here.

froggy · #4 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 04:33 PM

At the moment there seems to be about ten males for every female.

aeshna5 · #5 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 04:41 PM

I noticed a movement in my pond yesterday when I got home from work + suspected it was my first frog of the season. Today when I've been home there's been activity evident, with 9 Common Frogs the most I've counted.

A couple of times I've had to chase off next door's cat looking in the pond. If it's not there it's skulking by the feeders.

lilyrose · #6 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 05:29 PM

My little pond is 8ft x 6ft and we usually have at least 80 frogs mating each season. Sadly we have had a lot of dead frogs since the ice thawed out, at least 20, but over the past 2 days I have seen three swimming around. It is still a bit early for them to be spawning up here though.
In the past I have lost quite a lot of goldfish to frogs trying to mate with them.

Ben Rigsby · #7 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 05:33 PM

just saw around 30 Rana and 80 assorted newts.
no flogs in amplexus but smooth newt males are developing spots and seen gravid GCN.
many more out of sight no doubt.
garden pond, GLOS

ben

toadpole · #8 (**permalink**) 12-02-2011, 05:48 PM

well the frogs are definately waking up earlier this year

my daughter found a large female frog full of eggs on the path nr our front door 2 days ago

so i popped her in the pond and later that night 2 males turned up on my front lawn in the pouring rain ...so i popped them in a bucket and in they went too ...and this morning when i checked 1 of the males and the female are in Amplexus

s so its all starting to happen ....I am soooooo excited as it means the TOADS

wont be far behind !!! Marion

LindaP · #9 (**permalink**) 13-02-2011, 08:15 PM

Hi froggy, I'm really interested in your pond full of frogs! I'm a photographer for a great conservation media project 2020VISION 2020VISION : For a wilder Britain, and urban or suburban garden pondlife is one of the things they want me to photograph. I was wondering if you might consider letting me visit your pond? If so perhaps we could chat.

Linda Pitkin
linda.pitkin@virgin.net

LindaP · #10 (**permalink**) 13-02-2011, 09:00 PM

By the way, if anyone else has a pond with lots of frogs and or other amphibians, that they might allow me to photograph for 2020VISION 2020VISION : For a wilder Britain, please let me know. I'm looking for ones in the Surrey/ London area, as I'm based in Croydon.

Linda Pitkin
linda.pitkin@virgin.net