the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles |
|
Late Spawning Common Toads! |
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Author | |
will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: 15 Sep 2012 at 4:28pm |
Hi Chris
I've heard the odd frog croaking in autumn but certainly not mass thrashing about as you describe. Another interesting obs. On thinking about the toadspawn string further, I guess that if the ova themselves in the jelly appeared dark in colour, that would suggest they were fertile (rather than the white colour you tend to get with infertile spawn) - all of which makes me even more curious (but spawn best left alone if in a big quarry, I guess!) |
|
Chris Monk
Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 282 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Will
Paul didn't tell me the exact location of this pond and its a very large disused quarry (I did find out it wasn't the pond I know in the hollow where the crushers used to stand) so it's unlikely that the spawn will be collected now. Also a friend at work also had the frogs splashing around and calling in his garden pond last week just like mating time in the spring. However there was no spawn, which makes the toad spawn all the more unusual, as you say you need a male and a female in breeding condition for viable spawn. |
|
Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
|
will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
very interesting Chris; I would love to know if this turns out to be fertile, in which case suggesting some kind of synchronicity amongst at least two toads, possibly more in the population, or the result of a single female, for whatever reason, depositing her spawn unusually early or late. Could the string be put in a tank so its progress could be monitored over the next week or two?
|
|
Chris Monk
Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 282 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Is this extra late spawning for this year or extra early for next spring? Last weekend on a hot sunny Sunday a friend of mine with decades of amphibian surveying and other wildlife recording visited a disused quarry on the edge of the White Peak at Wirksworth and in a pond on site found 1 new string of toad spawn.
|
|
Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
|
Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
My brother in Yorkshire has watched several ponds for 40 years and there is always, what he refers to, as a 'second wave' of toads to spawn. Roughly the first lot arrive about the third week in March and the second lot about 3 weeks later.
|
|
Suz
|
|
Iowarth
Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Status: Offline Points: 743 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Well, mine weren't late - and just wasted half an hour very enjoyably watching little black matchstalk men clambering out of the pond (they always ignore the nice gentle slopes and go up one of about 75 degrees!) Chris |
|
Chris Davis, Site Administrator
Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
|
Caleb
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I've just been told that there's been toad spawn seen in Hartlepool within the last couple of weeks as well.
|
|
Caleb
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
No, it wasn't dry earlier in the season, and it is a permanent pond. My last visit was 22nd Feb, and it was full then- no sign of toads at that point though.
|
|
will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
very interesting! natterjacks seem to be able to hold off spawning, but this could be something new for common toads. I have noticed that newts deprived of the chance to breed due to dry ponds in March entered ponds in late April once they refilled and busily started making up for lost time, courting and egg laying. Presumably the toad pond wasn't dry earlier in the season, given that they tend to breed in permanent waterbodies, or am I wrong?
|
|
Caleb
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I've just seen toads and spawn in a pond in Gateshead- almost two months later than another pond about a mile from it. The latest I've previously seen spawn in the NE was 26th April (in 2008).
I'm guessing this is a late spawning rather than a second one... (And yes, July IS particularly late for Scotland. It's not beyond the arctic circle!) |
|
Post Reply | Page 12> |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |