Frog Over Indulgence

[camembert]

We have a smallish pond in the garden (4ft by 4ft) and it steams each year with about sixty frogs from early February. We've lost the spawn for the last two years due to frosts.

This year the mild weather has meant they've been at it for around four weeks now and recently I've had to bury a couple as they - well seem to have exploded.

Is this just an occupational hazard? I've never come across it before.

Sorry for the gruesome first post.

[Rich]

Yes, frost presumably, accounted for the spawn in my ponds for the last two years. One day they were a black writhing mass, next day, nothing.

[yellowhammer]

It sounds daft but if you expect frost cover the spawn in bubble wrap and you'll save most of it.

[Wild-Woman]

Did you mean the frogs themselves?

[yellowhammer]

The exploding frogs probably died in the winter and settled at the bottom of the pond. It's common to lose a couple like this every year. As the weather & water warm up decomposition starts and they float to the surface and, well, pop. Stink too, don't they?

Unless you're losing loads I wouldn't worry.

[camembert]

We've got a plethora of frogs so I guess some wastage is expected? It's frogs bursting asunder with spawn. The last looked fertilized and I had to prize one, clinging mate, away from the corpse. I couldn't save the spawn though.