10th March 2011. The first frogs were discovered in and around the pond. A taste of spring after what seemed like an eternal winter here in Britain.
Click on any of the pictures
to see a larger view
Rather than a 'croak', the male frog's mating
call is more like a cross between a motor boat and a cat's
purr! Note the puffed out chin to produce the characteristic
call.
During mating the male frog grips the female
with his strong, sucker like fingers. Things get rather hectic
at this time. I had to separate two males and a female whose
legs and arms had become so hopelessly entangled that all
three were strangling and drowning each other. The joys of
being a pond owner!
Massive clumps of frog spawn cover the shallow
sections of the pond. Toad spawn is different in that it is
laid in a long 'string' of eggs.
A couple of days after these pictures were
taken, winter returned with a vengeance. The pond froze solid,
it snowed and all the frogs temporarily disappeared.
The frog's legs are sturdy and powerful,
enabling him to jump considerable distances. Three weeks after
these pictures were taken - the frog spawn
is developing into tadpoles
10th March 2011. The first frogs were discovered in and around the pond. A taste of spring after what seemed like an eternal winter here in Britain.
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