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Marsh frogs in Staffordshire.: |
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Garry Member Joined: 24 May 2007 No. of posts: 7  View other posts by Garry |
Posted: 24 May 2007 First, I'd like to say a big HELLO to everybody, and thanks for making this a great site. I've only just registered and this is my first post. Here is a photograph of some Rana ridibunda that have been breeding in south Staffordshire. I don't know how long they've been here but I first discovered them about eight years ago. They are spreading and make one hell of a racket at night. People think they're some sort of duck quacking. Sorry for not revealing their exact location. Could somebody clarify to me the exact law about Aliens? I read about American Bullfrogs that are collected and "disposed" of, and on the other hand I read on this forum that you need a licence to catch Aesculapian snakes? Are some aliens protected and not others? Your advice would be greatly appreciated. O.k. - I'm having trouble uploading image.
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 25 May 2007 Marsh frogs aren't protected by law- you can disturb them, catch them, keep them, or kill & eat them without breaching the Wildlife & Countryside Act. BUT- it is illegal to release them into the wild. So if you do catch them, you can't release them again. There have been licences granted to re-release captured alien species. There was a project to examine hybridisation between native crested newts and introduced italian cresteds which was given a licence to re-release the animals that were captured for the study. The law applies in the same way for American Bullfrogs and Aesculapian snakes. The American Bullfrogs in Kent were thought to pose such a threat to native wildlife that it was necessary to remove them. Marsh frogs, edible frogs etc. aren't generally thought to pose a major threat, so they're usually tolerated. |
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Garry Member Joined: 24 May 2007 No. of posts: 7 View other posts by Garry |
Posted: 25 May 2007 Thankyou for your reply, Caleb. I am still having trouble uploading the image even though it is less than 500kb and is a jpeg...any suggestions? Regards,
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 25 May 2007 Hi Gary, If you like you can email me the pic and i'll sort it into this thread for you alhyde@btinternet.com Cheers, Al O-> O+> |
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Alan Hyde Senior Member Joined: 17 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 1416 View other posts by Alan Hyde |
Posted: 25 May 2007 Garrys Marsh frog pics 
 O-> O+> |
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markkettle Member Joined: 29 Jun 2006 No. of posts: 6  View other posts by markkettle |
Posted: 30 May 2007 I released six Marsh Frogs into my pond about a year ago before I knew it was illegal, Oops. I have heard them calling regularly but havent seen any spawn. What time of year do they normally breed? Is it likely they will? Mark. Mark |
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Alex2 Senior Member Joined: 16 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 266 View other posts by Alex2 |
Posted: 06 Sep 2007 [QUOTE=markkettle]I released six Marsh Frogs into my pond about a year ago before I knew it was illegal, Oops. I have heard them calling regularly but havent seen any spawn. What time of year do they normally breed? Is it likely they will? Mark.[/QUOTE] Hi Mark, I've known the very closely related Pool Frog to spawn as late as August. You only need a pair to produce results (they're not a species that requires a certain male to female ratio to stimulate breeding unlike some anura, and they breed with great success in England). Did your Ridibunda end up spawning?. |
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markkettle Member Joined: 29 Jun 2006 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by markkettle |
Posted: 23 Nov 2007 Hi Alex No spawn I'm afraid. Not that I've seen anyway. There is quite a large population of goldfish and Koi in my pond and I was told that Marsh frog spawn tends to sink anyway. I wonder, therefore, if they may have done without me knowing.
Mark |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 26 Nov 2007 The spawn isnt as obvious as our native frogspawn - it is laid in small clumps under the water surface. so unless you have a good rummage around the weed your not going to find the spawn. one way to see if the frogs have bred is to net the pond in the late spring to mid summer you will find tadpoles. Later in the year these would be massive compared to our native frog tadpoles. Jon Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
- Marsh frogs in Staffordshire. |