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Late Spawning Common Toads! |
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Caleb
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660 |
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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.
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Caleb
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660 |
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I've just been told that there's been toad spawn seen in Hartlepool within the last couple of weeks as well.
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Iowarth
Admin Group Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Status: Offline Points: 743 |
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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 |
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Chris Davis, Site Administrator
Co-ordinator, Sand Lizard Captive Breeding Programme (RETIRED) |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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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.
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Suz
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Chris Monk
Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 282 |
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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.
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Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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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?
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Chris Monk
Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 282 |
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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. |
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Derbyshire Amphibian & Reptile Group www.derbyshirearg.co.uk |
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will
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1830 |
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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!) |
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