Looks like an interesting piece of research. I am heading up the Record Pool database. Would it be useful for us to work together on this.

 

I am curious whether there is any evidence of any impact of these frogs on our native frogs. There is a student at Writtle College who is looking at European Water frogs at Rainham Marshes in Essex looking at their impacts (positive and negative) on that reserve. The frogs there were introduced or rather they first appeared in 2004.

 

Another population in South Essex has a history dating back to its original introduction in around the 1990's and occupies deep ditches borrow dykes and fishing lakes.

 

Another research project looked at the prey items of water frogs at the London Barns Wetland Centre do you have a copy of that research at all?

 

These frogs are still being spread across the country by Fisherman (recent introduction reported from Kent to fishing lakes in Essex), pet stores (plenty for sale acorss the home counties), members of the public (spawn & tadpoles) and deliberate introductions by keepers (anecdotally).

 

We had new records from fishing lakes in Leicestershire originally reported as 'Bullfrogs' but followed up and were European Water Frogs from photos taken at the site.

 

I think that there is a real issue with these frogs moving closer to the Pool frog reintroduction site in Norfolk it would possibly be a disaster if any of these were introduced and the pool frog hybridises with the southern European water frogs.

 

Do you have evidence that the 'Marsh' type frogs have impacts on our native grass or brown frog?