Last week I posted that the frogs had returned to the garden pond. We still have one or two doing what frogs do at this time of year but there doesn't seem to be anything like the number that there usually is - maybe some more are on the way.
Martyn posted that clumps of frog spawn had appeared in the pond. Well as expected the spawn in the photo shown in his post seems to have disappeared so we are assuming that the fish have had a feast. Not to be thwarted the frogs have deposited more spawn but as its chances of survival seems very limited yesterday I decided to try to rescue some and raise some froglets in the safety of an old fish bowl with some water taken from the pond.
When I was teaching in primary school I did this several times successfully - in fact I think our current frogs are maybe descendants of some froglets that escaped from the greenhouse one half term when I brought them home to look after.
I was only going to scoop a small amount from the pond but the clumps are so firmly fixed together that I ended up with far more that I intended. Once the tadpoles have wriggled free I'll have to release some as so many won't be able to live comfortably in the bowl.
Hopefully we'll be able to chart the froggy development.
Posts
I remember doing this as a kid, much to the dismay of my Mum who wasn't very keen on having loads of tiny frogs hopping round the house!
ReplyDeleteAt least I left mine in the greenhouse, mark. For ages afterwards every time we mowed the lawn there were tiny froglets bouncing for cover!
DeleteI've had my mini pond for three years now and each year I hope that I'll get some frog spawn, but we haven't yet. We do get frogs in the pond though. Fingers crossed that your rescue attempt succeeds.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever want any spawn, Jo you could always pop and have some of mine. That is if the fish haven't eaten it all - and I am going the need a home for some tadpoles if they all hatch in the greenhouse
DeleteThere's a couple of ponds over here which would love to give your spare tadpoles a home, I think it's a bit far to travel though!
ReplyDeleteIt maybe is a bit far BW - shame though! You wouldn't believe how much more they have laid today - there are going to be some very fat fish! Just as well as we definitely couldn't cope with so many frogs
DeleteThe few ponds which are around here are very frog friendly as they have no fish in...but I guess that is the way life goes....I'm sure the frogs will keep spawning after the fish are all full up, nature always seems to have a way of getting things balanced well in the end!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf you have a peek at the post Martyn wrote today, Tanya - you'll see that the frogs have been very busy again but the fish are lurking around the edges.
DeleteHow cute!
ReplyDeleteI used to do this too!
Amazing to see how they develop!
Martin :0)
Martyn has the video camera at the ready martin to record all the action
DeleteI've never done that before. Sounds cool. Looking forward to froggy updates :) Cheers, Jenni
ReplyDeleteAnd no doubt there will be plenty of updates to come Jenni
DeleteApparently frogs eat slugs so I could use alot of them in my garden. I've only spotted one toad frog in my garden over the past ten years.
ReplyDeleteYes they do Kelli but they don't all stay around after spawning. Hedgehogs are supposed to too but I've seen them totally ignoring slugs by walking over them. I have seen the blackbirds though wiping the slug slime off on the grass before eating them.
DeleteHow exciting - I love watching tadpoles hatch and then frogs develop. My 2 year old is obsessed with frogs at the moment - he would love this.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to let him see the video when we post it. I have some info with photos and video that he my like to see here just to keep him going til the tadpoles grow
DeleteThanks, Sue, I'll bear it in mind. We did take some spawn from a friend's pond a couple of years ago but it didn't survive, so perhaps the frogs aren't spawning there for a reason.
ReplyDelete