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Frogs spawn |
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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Thanks very much for the link, you have to love the internet, when you get away from all the trash on it it really is a great resource...
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Caleb
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Status: Offline Points: 660 |
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There's a whole chapter on this in Maxwell Savage's book on the common frog. His conclusion was that it's probably algal growth that triggers them to spawn, which itself depends on a bunch of factors including rainfall, sunlight, and temperature. It's worth reading for his reasoning as to why various factors (especially temperature) can't alone explain the spawning date. The whole book can be read on archive.org:
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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Put the camera on the pond and can see three frogs as I type this, quite active too, swimming about.
Surprisingly saw a frog heading to the beach earlier when walking to the dogs, ended up picking him up and putting him back in some bushes, if he had gone onto the beach there would have been no way back up the wall. Strange to see so much activity in late January
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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We had a recent series of frosty nights, but now it is back to dim damp days. Yesterday was very mild so I went out with camera last night and heard frogs dive into two of the ponds. I guess this disturbance makes the newts dive for cover as I only photographed a couple, but also five newtlets.
With all the mild weather a nice lot of pond weed had grown, but the frost and freezing of the ponds has killed it off. Although I live in East Devon, where I live is not early for spawn - judging from images on here! I live in a valley bottom, maybe too cold. Also two of my ponds do not start to get the sun till mid Feb. which I'm sure must be a factor.
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Suz
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chubsta
Senior Member Joined: 26 Apr 2013 Location: Folkestone,Kent Status: Offline Points: 430 |
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I would imagine the survival prospects of that spawn are pretty low, what triggers the laying, does it have to be a cold spell followed by a period at a certain temperature so they think Spring has arrived, or is totally random and just depends on a male and female meeting at the right time?
Winter hasn't arrived here in the South East yet, 1 or 2 very mild frosts and that is it, still quite a few hedgehogs running around the village which is almost unheard of, the odd one may wake up for a feed but these are all ones that haven't gone into hibernation yet. Also, a lot of weed has started to sprout back up in the pond, even a lily leaf, so it seems like everything is starting far too early this year. Will put my camera on the pond and see what is happening with the frogs around here, checked for Slow Worms yesterday but not surprisingly didn't see any.
Edited by chubsta - 27 Jan 2020 at 10:12am |
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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Glad your tadpoles 'made it' Lalchitri.
Last Tuesday, noting the frosts that had prevailed over the last few days in the Helston area, i had just been on the 'phone to a friend confidently assuring him that despite climatic 'Cornwall weighting', it was too cold for frog spawn. Then five minutes later the 'cosmic joker' of Fortean legend struck: Never make bold assertions! |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Just been cutting the vegetation back round my smallest pond to allow the sunshine onto the water. When things had settled down (I netted out some duckweed and leaves too) I saw a large overwintering tadpole lying by the pondside in the water. It certainly had one set of legs, but it was hard to get a clear view. I know there are a few that have overwintered in there. Will be interesting to see if they have a spurt and fully develop like yours did.
Edited by Suzy - 10 Jan 2020 at 12:51pm |
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Suz
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lalchitri
Senior Member Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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I think there must be something in this hormonal trigger theory. Prior to this dozen or so overwinterers the last froglet was in August. The rest remained as tadpoles upto just before xmas. Then the first one metamorphed and suddenly within about 10 days to 2 weeks the rest did as well. So nothing for 4 months, then one goes and so do all the others in a short span of time.
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Reformed Teetotaller
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lalchitri
Senior Member Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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Reformed Teetotaller
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lalchitri
Senior Member Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Status: Offline Points: 160 |
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I released the 3 late froglets into the pond today.
There are still 6 tadpoles with only hind legs. The froglets didn’t appear very active/alert. Also, I hope the change in temperature from the indoor tub to the outdoor pond doesn’t affect them. Contrary to what you have observed Liz, I didn’t notice any atrophy/lack of further development of overwintering since the froglets were only tadpoles with hind legs about 10 days ago. i Edited by lalchitri - 21 Dec 2019 at 11:48am |
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Reformed Teetotaller
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