a bad year for frogs and newts?
Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: General
Forum Name: UK Reptiles and Amphibians
Forum Description: A forum for general questions and answers relating to wild reptiles and amphibians in the UK
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3512
Printed Date: 19 Apr 2024 at 7:36pm
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Topic: a bad year for frogs and newts?
Posted By: Liz Heard
Subject: a bad year for frogs and newts?
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2011 at 3:39pm
hi people  ,
although there are still a fair few about here (Glos), ive seen a lot less newts/frogs (bit early to tell for toads) in all the local ponds i watch this year. including my own where nos are down circa 30-40%. oddly though, i didnt have any dead uns float up in my 2 pools. if some animals died during the jan freeze then they must have succumbed elsewhere. another garden frog/palmate pond i visit daily which usually has quite good numbers, shows no sign of life at all this spring. ive not seen any spawn or a single frog/newt there. not so far anyway. since RT around here have bred and gone, i dont expect to now either 
also had a frost here last night. which wont have done the frogspawn at the top of the clumps any favours of course. are you finding a similar downtrend this year where you are? regards to all, ben 
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Replies:
Posted By: Shawit
Date Posted: 06 Mar 2011 at 10:02pm
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I'm in Central Bristol. The number of Palmate Newts in my garden ponds does not appear to have reduced. However, frog numbers have crashed in my ponds ( approx. 50-60 at spawning to 8 ) , there are no frogs in my neighbours pond and in the local pond numbers were definitely reduced. I've just visited the local park pond and found all the spawn has gone. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2011 at 10:03am
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Up in Yorkshire thereÆs lots of frogspawn this year, dunno about toad numbers yet as they havenÆt shown their faces yet. |
Posted By: tim-f
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2011 at 7:44pm
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Hello knowledgeable people. I was walking in the Black Mountains yesterday and saw several clumps of spawn in a very temporary puddle in a rutted farm track, with quite a lot that had totally dried out. A real shame. On a ridge at about 500m, there was a more permanent pool with some apparently healthy spawn, but also this orangey spawn. Is it frost damaged/unfertilized/diseased/water too acid etc etc?  Regards, Tim. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 09 Mar 2011 at 12:54pm
Weird.  Dunno. 
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Posted By: lalchitri
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2011 at 11:05am
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I usually get close to a hundred frogs in my pond this time of year. Would be surprised if I had more than 10 this year. Had the first 3 clumps of spawn this morning though. ------------- Reformed Teetotaller |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2011 at 9:29am
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I still ainÆt seen any toads yet but IÆm hoping itÆs just cos of the cold. ItÆs Comic Relief tonight, every year Robbie Williams or Take That are on and I usually end up missing them or getting back just in the nick of time cos IÆm out looking for toads every Comic Relief night.
Should see them tonight though, didnÆt go out frogging last night, just been too cold. |
Posted By: Suzi
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2011 at 7:26pm
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After thinking I'd not get any frog spawn this year in my East Devon pond I was pleased to find a brand new clump on the surface this morning. More surprised as it was down to -4C last night. When I removed the clump to rear elsewhere I found another clump underneath that was a day or two older. That clump definitely didn't start on the surface as I look carefully every day. My neighbour's frog spawn has all hatched out now with the taddies swimming freely. About a month's difference in laying times.
------------- Suz |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 21 Mar 2011 at 11:51am
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Posted By: lalchitri
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2011 at 8:31am
Mine are down to 30-40% of last year. Instead of 46-47 clumps, I've got 17 this year. Also, only a couple of newts present, instead of the usual 20-25. ------------- Reformed Teetotaller |
ben rigsby wrote: