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frogs: |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717  View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 15 Mar 2009 Good afternoon guys, can any of you bright sparks i.d these frogs for me, taken today. Cheers Rob RobV |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 15 Mar 2009 Oh yes, and I forgot to say, before you tell me that they are an unusually marked common frog, the croaking was definitely not 'ribbet' 'ribbet', it more more like a long drawn out burp, a bit like a nightingale but of a lower tone and was continuous, rather than short bursts. Rob RobV |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 15 Mar 2009 Rob, Don't want to be a copy cat but yesterday I walked up the marshes/fields by the River Axe (East Devon) and saw plenty of spawn in the ditches. I thought a few clumps which were in positions where there was only the one clump looked kind of smaller than common frog spawn - the jelly was smaller and possibly the actual black blobs were smaller too, although I realise this could just indicate newly laid. What was puzzling was the strange continuous croaking which I've never heard before. I didn't hear any typical frog calling. Unfortunately didn't see any frogs at all. I know some frog calls are on the Internet so I'll have a listen later. Suz |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 15 Mar 2009 Suzi hi, yes i saw the same thing, both the clump size and the actual agg size were smaller than other clumps there and were more tightly packed together, darker perhaps. Rob RobV |
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Peter Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 No. of posts: 260 View other posts by Peter |
Posted: 16 Mar 2009 Hi Rob,
Every common frog that I have ever heard sounded like a continuous burp. Ive never heard a common frog making the "ribbit ribbit" sound. The frogs in your excellent picture look like typical spring time coloured males.
Have you seen any male grassies yet? 
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Peter Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 No. of posts: 260 View other posts by Peter |
Posted: 16 Mar 2009 Heres some welsh Rana temporaria filmed by Mark a few weeks back;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-w0amP4sjA
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 16 Mar 2009 Pete, I'd agree that some are similar, but these seem to have lost any kind of mottling or throat bumps, they are very plain in colour. Also take a look at this spawn. It is slightly different from the 'normal' common frog spawn. Rob RobV |
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 16 Mar 2009 It's just very fresh common frog spawn; it will soon swell up to look like 'normal' spawn. Edible/marsh/pool frog spawn is laid in much smaller clumps, and doesn't float. They do look like common frogs to me- the dark 'mask' is quite clear on some of the ones in the first picture. The description of the call is spot on for common frogs as well (I'd describe it as a deep burbling). It's pretty unusual to hear them calling in the day, though I did hear some myself one afternoon last week. |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 16 Mar 2009 Well, I suppose that clears that up then! Thanks all, it's just that I'd never seen such a uniform likeness of colour in so many individuals, but I suppose that's nature for you.......And interbreeding! They're prbably all cousins. Rob RobV |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 19 Mar 2009 Hi Robert Common frog - did you manage to count the spawn clumps? are these in Essex? I would like to have the records please! Jon Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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tim-f Senior Member Joined: 13 Apr 2008 No. of posts: 60  View other posts by tim-f |
Posted: 22 Mar 2009 Do Common Frogs go "ribbit"? I don't think they do. I heard recently that the sound effect was used in Hollywood films and has "stuck". So now all frogs in films go "ribbit", e.g. in The Longest Day which is about the D-Day landings.
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Caleb Forum Coordinator Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 448 View other posts by Caleb |
Posted: 23 Mar 2009 No, common frogs don't 'ribbit', they make a low burbling sound (or a prolonged burp according to Robert V). I've not seen 'The Longest Day', but Edible/Pool frogs occur in Northern France and their calls do sound more like a 'ribbit'. |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 25 Mar 2009
Rrrrrrrrrrirbbbt Rrrrrrrrribbbt. Definitely shorter than what i described on page one, but never mind. And Jon, quid pro quo, I'll let you have the records, but you haven't yet told me where I can find the UK country wide Grassie records that the ARgs have been collecting etc. And here's the frog that you reckon is a common. RobV |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 25 Mar 2009 anyone want to descibe the sound of a marsh frog hahahahahahahhagoooooooohahhagobblegobblee I do a better impression in person. Jon on the subject of recording, you didn't answer me regarding being the Essex County Recorder. Isn't it fitting that the county recorder at least lives in the county?
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 26 Mar 2009 Half of the Rt in my garden pond are very similar to Robert's pictures. Most do NOT have the dark mask usually associated with Rt. There's clearly a lot of variability. Short night vid of my pond frogs with calls here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBBs0xmjYNg Has anybody actually recorded the time from spawning to hatching of tadpoles? Most sources quote around 14 days...but the spawn inmy pond was laid on 3rd March, and is only about half way developed. I realise temperature has an effect....so any records would be useful to get a handle on the variance of this 2-week figure. National grass snake distribution here: http://data.nbn.org.uk/interactive/map.jsp?srchSp=NHMSYS0000 080231 Steve Langham - Chairman 
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 26 Mar 2009 Rob, that is a common frog there is no doubt at all about it, all your pictures are of common frogs  Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Robert V Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 No. of posts: 717 View other posts by Robert V |
Posted: 26 Mar 2009 Gemma, I know; I'm just a frog snob! I like to think that MY frogs are just that little bit different from any body elses. Thanks for the map Steve, well helpful Rob RobV |
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tim hamlett Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 No. of posts: 572  View other posts by tim hamlett |
Posted: 26 Mar 2009 are you sure it's a common frog...it looks like a leech to me. tim |
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Peter Senior Member Joined: 17 Jan 2008 No. of posts: 260 View other posts by Peter |
Posted: 26 Mar 2009 Nah! It`s a flat worm.
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 27 Mar 2009 [QUOTE=tim hamlett] are you sure it's a common frog...it looks like a leech to me. tim [/QUOTE]
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
- frogs |
Well I've heard frogs go (bill oddy impression)