Common Frog - Rana temporaria

Our best known amphibian and our only native frog species (several more have been introduced) the Common Frog is often found in and around garden ponds where it breeds in early spring. As they are nocturnal the best time to see them is in spring as they congregate in ponds to breed. 

Habitat

It can be found throughout Wiltshire in a wide variety of habitats and breeds in ponds, puddles, ditches and lakes.

Description

The adults are up to 10cm in length and are quite variable in colour ranging from grey, brown to olive or yellow with scattered black spots on the back. Their undersides are white with yellow flanks. They have large, long hind legs with a smooth shin and large webbed feet, which makes them excellent swimmers and powers strong jumps; these webbed feet have dark bands helping to camouflage them. The Common Frog is often confused with the Common Toad, but they are easily told apart as toads walk and crawl where frogs hop and jump when moving about; toads also have dry bumpy skin compared to the frogs wet smooth patterned skin.

Biology

It is a welcome garden resident as the adults eat a wide variety of invertebrates including slugs, snails, worms and files amongst other insects. Frogs in turn are predated upon by birds such as herons, the young and tadpoles are particularly vulnerable from other aquatic animals especially water beetles, newts and fish.

Through the winter Common Frogs hibernate either at the bottom of ponds and breathe through their skin or in places such as compost heaps.

The Common Frog is active from April to May, but peak time is February to March. The males arrive at the breeding ponds in spring just before the females; the Common Frog is thought to return to ponds where they were ‘born’. The males compete for the females and once paired remain clasped to her body for a number of days until spawning. The female releases her eggs first, closely followed by the male releasing his sperm. The eggs (spawn) are seen more often than the frog, and form large ‘tapioca like’ masses in the shallow margins of ponds and other watercourses. After two weeks the tadpoles hatch and then change into adults about 10 weeks later. They have even been known to breed in running water!

Threats

Until the 1970’s Common Frog populations went through a large decline in Britain. The increase in popularity of garden ponds their numbers have recovered well. Although not threatened populations are vulnerable to the loss of water bodies.

Conservation

The Common Frog is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) under schedule 5 making it illegal to sell them.