 |
|
|
Posts by manders: |
| Author | Message |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13  View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 20 Mar 2005
Topic: Natterjacks Maybe
On a walk today we spotted toad spawn in a local pond, allong with numerous mating couples. The spawn was in single strands. At the time I wasnt sure what distinguishes Natterajcks from Common toads, and therefore didnt get to look for the yellow stripes. The pond was a permanent one, in a small wooded area, next to the sandy shoreline of the Mersey river at Hale Village. As far as I know Natterjacks have never been sighted here, but are seen much further around the coastline at Formby. What are the odds that they are Natterjacks? |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 21 Mar 2005
Topic: Natterjacks Maybe
The wooded area is very very small and right next to the sandy shoreline allong the Mersey estuary, also the soil is very sandy in the surrounding area. What got my interest orginally was the single strands of eggs rather than the double strands of common toads. Now i've read a bit about them I will go back and see if i can positively ID them. Also the male toads were noticeably smaller than the common frogs which were also there. |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 21 Mar 2005
Topic: Natterjacks Maybe
Youre right, just been down there to check, and they are definately common toads, also the spawn was stretched out, and caught around various roots and things under the water. Slightly dissapointing, but I didnt know we had any type of toad so not a total disspaointment. |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 24 Apr 2005
Topic: Midwife toads and the law
Reading these websites the information is a little confusing, for example for midwife toads, on one hand they are an alien species and it is illegal to introduce them into the wild, on the other hand they a cited as a protected species (according to one website). What is the real situation?. Should they be destroyed if found, being alien, or should they be encouraged to spread as being endangered? |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 25 Apr 2005
Topic: Frogs in my Parents Garden
My parents have had a garden pond for the last 30 years. At first we had the usual common frogs, by the bucket load. Later we started to notice a larger greener frog that used to stay in the pond all summer, they tended to hide under a shelf and were difficult to spot. One year a clump frogspawn was seen on the bottom of the pond. At the time I (aged 10ish) did some rooting through the text books and decided they were possibly edible frogs, but was never 100% sure, the tadpoles didnt seem big enough. Ok now 30 years later, I decided to try to answer this once and for all, as it allways bugged me what they were. Common Frog breeding season is now over, and we have several frogs permanently sat in the pond, one at least does not have the dark patch behind they eye, and looks fat, as though it mught be getting ready to breed. It is however, neither green or very large. Could it be just another colour variation of a common frog, and would these still be sat in the pond now? Secondly if the larger frogs turn up again this year, what should I look for? |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 25 Apr 2005
Topic: Frogs in my Parents Garden
I am near widnes in Cheshire (north of the mersey), I uderstand from the cheshire website there have been sitings of marsh frogs in this area but as yet unconfirmed. We certainly have frogs that dont have the eye patch or the light colored lateral fold, but I also suspect these may be just colour variations. My parents tell me the bigger frogs tend to come in the summer and sit around croaking in the pond. So i aim to get a photo, this summer, if they show up. Unfortunately the pond was enlared and deepened about twenty years ago, so its impossible to say if weve had spawn on the bottom, any time after that. Im also trying to dredge my memory as to whether they had vocal sacs or not, but its probably easier to see if any show up this summer. |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 26 Apr 2005
Topic: Disappearing Tadpoles
This year we had a massive amount of frogspawn as per usual, the tadpoles hatched and looked to be doing fine for about a two weeks. Then in the space of a few days they all disapeared and now none are left. This has happened one other year also, although most years there is no problem. We have red eared terrapin in the pond, but it has also been there for many years without having any impact on the tadpoles. What could have killed/eaten the tadpoles so quickly. Could it be water quality in some way or any other reason? |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 26 Apr 2005
Topic: Sitting in water
How long do common frogs normally stay in the pond after breeding?, ours seem to stay there all summer, although some may, or may not, be marsh frogs. But is it normal for common frogs? |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 27 Apr 2005
Topic: Sitting in water
These guys tend to spend much of the day in the water, with the snouts sticking up, for example wedged between a plant holder and the wall of the pond, with just the eyes and nostrils clear of the water. If they do dissapear they tend to come back to the exact same spot a few hours later. |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 27 Apr 2005
Topic: Sitting in water
I just spent the morning cleaning out the pond, partially prompted by the sudden dissapearance of all of our tadpoles, a week or so ago. The big goldfish had dissapered (heron?), and we had only 6 adult frogs compared to a more normal 150 or so, of previous years! |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 27 Apr 2005
Topic: Disappearing Tadpoles
Robert, I hear what you are saying but cant really go allong with it, the terrapin has been in the garden pond for twenty years, and never had any significant impact on frogs or tadpoles, (one terrapin many 000's of tadpoles). Its never shown much inclination to eat them except to snap at a few that passed its mouth. Also at this time of year, he has only just warmed up enough to start feeding(we hand feed it). The tadpoles all dissapeared in the space of a few days, and the terrapin just isnt agile enough to reach all the places where they congregate, most of the time he was torpid at the bottom of the pond. On the other hand the pond was very dirty this year, with very little in it apart from some blanket weed(for which the terrapin may be indirectly to blame) could they have starved to death? They were fine up until the rain washed the remnants of the spawn jelly away. |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 28 Apr 2005
Topic: Disappearing Tadpoles
Could it be possible that they just starved? The pond water was very dirty, with not much life below the surface, around the edge was plenty of blanket week, but little else, the tadpoles vanished straight after some heavy rain, which washed the remnants of the jelly away, which is what they seemed to be eating at the time. Weve now (too late) cleaned the pond out. Or maybe some chemical was in the rain? In defense of terrapins(red eared variety), mine only actively chases pond snails, and has cleaned out all the great pond snails to extinction. But is very cautious and otherwise, and acts more like a scavenger, spending too long smelling things to actually catch anything that moves (ie fish or frogs). If something sits still long enough for him to give it a good smelling, he might then bite it, but if it struggles he tends to drop it and never bother similar things again. Only thing we suspect him of is biting then tail end off two very stupid fantail goldfish, which probably didnt swim away when he approached. He completely ignores all the other goldfish. |
|
manders Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 No. of posts: 13 View other posts in this topic |
Posted: 29 Apr 2005
Topic: Disappearing Tadpoles
Low oxygen could be feasible, although we had goldfish in the pond which survived, some large ones went missing, probably due to a heron. The pond has vertical sides, shallows parts only being in plant baskets, so they werent washed up. I admit i am still baffled, but can only assume it was something to do with poor water quality, we have cleaned out the pond, and hope next year is better. If anybody has any further suggestions, would love to hear it. Another year with no tadpoles surviving and we may not have any frogs left. Very few other ponds close to us. |
- Posts by manders |