# Can she get any bigger?



## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

I thought i`d best sort out my pond before the frogs start laying.
There in the corner was one fat wee woman just waiting for some horny male to come wandering past :lol2:

Mike


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

Dont you just love this time of year Mike, this what my smaller wildlife pond is looking like at the moment


































Richie


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

WOW...Frogs out in Aberdeen already !!

Went up to my local pond midweek and there was no sign of anything.
Then again, still early compared to previous years .. They spawned 7th, 14th & 12th of March the past 3 yrs running.


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

No spwan in my garden, the frogs are there though and if they where breeding elsewere they would have left.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Richie it looks like your in need of a larger pond :lol2:
I lost a lot of tads last year because the pond wasn`t large enough to sustain them all so this year I was thinking of dropping in extra food for them to ensure a larger amount of survivors.

Mike


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

frogman955 said:


> Richie it looks like your in need of a larger pond :lol2:
> I lost a lot of tads last year because the pond wasn`t large enough to sustain them all so this year I was thinking of dropping in extra food for them to ensure a larger amount of survivors.
> 
> Mike


When i say smaller pond its still 13ft round the one it runs into is 25x15ft which is used by toads and newts but the frogs prefer the shallow areas of the smaller one.

smaller pond









larger pond









And just so it doesnt feel left out this is a pic of my koi pond these are pictures from last year









richie


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Damn but that looks smart Richie.
My one pales in comparison as it`s only a medium sized preformed one.
It`s about 6ft x 3ft x 2ft deep.
But the wee pricks that live a few doors up punctured it and although I patched it, it started leaking again so quite a few tads died as the water levels dropped and trapped them in planters.
So i`ve bought some plastic sheeting from B&Q which I put under the pond today to hopefully hold the water in place.
It`s a cheap fix but if it works it should last for a while.
The things we do for wildlife :lol2:

Mike


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

great stuff guys, always wonderful to see this
Set me thinking does anyone know when great crested newts start to appear?
Stu


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Stu
You might find this an interesting read.
Pond Conservation | Amphibians and reptiles in your pond | Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)


Mike


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> great stuff guys, always wonderful to see this
> Set me thinking does anyone know when great crested newts start to appear?
> Stu


Already seen them :gasp:.

The frogs are looking like they're about to breed in my garden which is good.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Right guys lets fill this thread up with photo`s of your frogs and ponds and if possible eggs and tads too :2thumb:

Mike


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

thanks Mike and Fardi,we haven't seen creasted yet will go and have a look though we have sites close by.Damn me we have one lucky smooth in our garden Shaz was digging some carrots just missed a little fella buried in beside them,a bit to close for comfort.
Mike we don't have a pond but the :censor::censor::censor: next door do so we provide the scruffy other bit the phibs need rest of the year:2thumb:so sorry no photos :blush:
Stu


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Stu you could always just post a photo of a muddy corner and swear theres a frog hiding in it :lol2:

Mike


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> thanks Mike and Fardi,we haven't seen creasted yet will go and have a look though we have sites close by.Damn me we have one lucky smooth in our garden Shaz was digging some carrots just missed a little fella buried in beside them,a bit to close for comfort.
> Mike we don't have a pond but the :censor::censor::censor: next door do so we provide the scruffy other bit the phibs need rest of the year:2thumb:so sorry no photos :blush:
> Stu


No Newts in my garden but there is a site near me that has some large ponds that a lot of Cristatus breed in. They also stay around all year round.

Last week I saw the first one this year, adult female:no1:


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

Seen a few newts in the large pond yesterday and a couple of male toads waiting to be first for the females to arrive.
Usually get hundred of newts throughout the summer

Im looking forward to the pool frogs in my greenhouse to wake up and start breeding, also just got next doors greenhouse off them so will be looking for a few more european species at hamm next week to go in there

Richie


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

richie.b said:


> Seen a few newts in the large pond yesterday and a couple of male toads waiting to be first for the females to arrive.
> Usually get hundred of newts throughout the summer
> 
> Im looking forward to the pool frogs in my greenhouse to wake up and start breeding, also just got next doors greenhouse off them so will be looking for a few more european species at hamm next week to go in there
> ...



How are the Pool frgs housed in the greenhouse?


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## RhianB87 (Oct 25, 2009)

richie.b said:


> Seen a few newts in the large pond yesterday and a couple of male toads waiting to be first for the females to arrive.
> Usually get hundred of newts throughout the summer
> 
> Im looking forward to the pool frogs in my greenhouse to wake up and start breeding, also just got next doors greenhouse off them so will be looking for a few more european species at hamm next week to go in there
> ...


Road trip to Richies to see newts? :whistling2:

I have only ever seen a handful at college


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

FallenAngel said:


> Road trip to Richies to see newts? :whistling2:
> 
> I have only ever seen a handful at college


Loads of sites near me have them. I see Cristatus more than all other amphibians (apart from R.Temporaria).


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

fardilis said:


> How are the Pool frgs housed in the greenhouse?


the greenhouse is 10x6 and all i did was put another mesh door on as well as the original door, burried some poly boxes with pipes leading into them put in some rocks and logs and a pond and planted it, sorted



FallenAngel said:


> Road trip to Richies to see newts? :whistling2:
> 
> I have only ever seen a handful at college


yay bring the beers we can all be like newts then :2thumb:

Richie


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

richie.b said:


> the greenhouse is 10x6 and all i did was put another mesh door on as well as the original door, burried some poly boxes with pipes leading into them put in some rocks and logs and a pond and planted it, sorted


Sounds nice :2thumb:. I'd be worried that someone would put a rock or something through the glass.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

frogman955 said:


> Stu you could always just post a photo of a muddy corner and swear theres a frog hiding in it :lol2:
> 
> Mike


ha ive done that i call em a viv mate:blush: i should have put that little guy up really mike,damn lucky little chap,but i'll try and lamp a few toads abit later for you,they wont take long to be about.
Fardi i'll get onit when i get a min be good to see how the old pond is doing across the way
Stu


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Saw my first wild phib of the year today. A frog in our estate.
So, after a detour, I drove past our local reserve a few miles away and rescued 2 male toads from the road. (There were a few that didn't make it tho  )
Got onto our local Reptile & Amphibian group to see if anyone patrols the area so I can offer my help. 

Anyway, here's a pic of my Captive Raised Rana T's










Female in top pic, Male in bottom.
Hoping there's no spawn this year as I might be tempted to raise them
But come the beginning of april, all 9 frogs will (hopefully) be released :2thumb:


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Keep it all coming guys.

Mike


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)




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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Cracking photo`s Fardilis :2thumb:

Mike


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

frogman955 said:


> Cracking photo`s Fardilis :2thumb:
> 
> Mike



Cheers: victory:


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

frogman955 said:


> Stu you could always just post a photo of a muddy corner and swear theres a frog hiding in it :lol2:
> 
> Mike


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

HAHAHA I love it.


Mike


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Come on you lot I can`t believe there are no others with photos :lol2:
I had a look at mine tonight and there are 2 large males in there with the female with one hanging onto her for dear life.
I`d have taken photo`s but it was a bit dark.

Mike


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Fardi proper awesome:notworthy:
Mike,well i promised something in a while,but......
My lad and i were doing a big old bit of garden maintenance today,so beofre the burn up i asked him to gently check over our barbi come fire.
Result.... i did mention go gently son some of my mates might just be in residence
Ain't she purdy :flrt:










she's got a nice new gaff untill she has to go over to the dark side with the :censor::censor: that live next door
Stu


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## Evie (Jan 28, 2008)

Ive seen a few in our fields at work this week - will get some pics in the morning if there are any about.

We build a raised fish pond at work last year - I'd post pics but someone would definitely laugh :blush:


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

soundstounite said:


> Fardi proper awesome:notworthy:
> Mike,well i promised something in a while,but......
> My lad and i were doing a big old bit of garden maintenance today,so beofre the burn up i asked him to gently check over our barbi come fire.
> Result.... i did mention go gently son some of my mates might just be in residence
> ...



Maybe put a small pond in your garden? Before I had the pond for the frogs I put a big Plastic box from argos in the garden with a few plants in. It would fill with water and the frogs would rest in there every now and again, even though it was only about 1 meter i was seeing a new frog every few days. Now the big ponds in there the frogs never leave :no1:.

If the toads are breeding next door and you provide a small habitat for them they are likely to stay :2thumb:


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## Evie (Jan 28, 2008)

This is one I took last year - not sure what it is though - really bright colour.









A few years ago you couldn't walk down the fields without watching every step - there were thousands but sadly there are no where near as many for the last couple of years.


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

Evie said:


> This is one I took last year - not sure what it is though - really bright colour.
> image
> 
> A few years ago you couldn't walk down the fields without watching every step - there were thousands but sadly there are no where near as many for the last couple of years.



Comman frog, they come in LOADS of colours. With amphibians colour alone should not be used for ID, comman frogs have a dark patch behind their eyes if that helps.










Not all are green....


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## Tuatara (Feb 1, 2009)

First Common Frog (Rana temporaria) ive seen this year :2thumb:


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## Evie (Jan 28, 2008)

Wow yes thank you. I've been wondering on and off for over a year - when you google images they all look fairly dull coloured in comparison. A big handsome frog too.
I'm always wanting to take photos of the amphibians we see on our morning dog walk but it's tricky because we don't want the dogs to notice them.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Some good photo`s there.
Keep them coming :2thumb:

Mike


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

fardilis said:


> Maybe put a small pond in your garden? Before I had the pond for the frogs I put a big Plastic box from argos in the garden with a few plants in. It would fill with water and the frogs would rest in there every now and again, even though it was only about 1 meter i was seeing a new frog every few days. Now the big ponds in there the frogs never leave :no1:.
> 
> If the toads are breeding next door and you provide a small habitat for them they are likely to stay :2thumb:


yeah I've dwelt on it Mike,but they only do pond life (there is such a cool double meaning there:no1 for a few weeks they live with us all year we give them the habitat the organic grub the places to hide.so its not all bad,i'll barely notice them not being here to be fair 
Stu


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

I gather from your posts Stu that you have "pondlife" living next door to you :lol2:
Or were you just meaning the frogs ? :whistling2:

Mike


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

frogman955 said:


> I gather from your posts Stu that you have "pondlife" living next door to you :lol2:
> Or were you just meaning the frogs ? :whistling2:
> 
> Mike


i best not go further mate public forum an all,but your not wrong
Stu


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

I think you`ll be ok Stu as long as you don`t start posting photo`s of them and try to claim they are frogs :gasp:

Mike


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

My frogs have laid eggs :2thumb:, truoble is, there's FAR too many. The ponds only small and the frogs have laid an astonishing amount of eggs. I would say 1/3-1/4 of the eggs is the maximum the pond could sustain.
I'm thinking about waiting till they hatch, seeing how many I've got, then moving them to a different pond. 

Any ideas?


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

If you have that many it might be an idea.
Can`t see that it would do them any harm so worth a go.
I`m still waiting for mine to lay her eggs.
I`ve seen her a couple of times under water with a male hanging on for dear life but nothing yet.

Mike


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

No spawn in our pond at all still this year.

I have to rehome the fish soon and rip it out anyway, reason been we're probably moving to a larger private rent soon, with a much smaller garden that we can't fit a pond the size of our current one in. Sad. 

Ade


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Thats a bummer Ade

Mike


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Yeah it is, I love our pond and the fish bred last year. 

On the flip side, if we do get the house we've put a deposit on it's a 3 floor 4 bedroom jobby with a MASSIVE kitchen/diner, so hopefully will prove to be worth the sacrifice.

Ade


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Ah well i`ll cross my fingers for you.
Sounds like you`ll be able to build yourself a Stu type frog room :lol2:

Mike


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

This thread is in need of new pics... and I just happened to have some 

Here's some good pics of my 'breeding' trio I took tonight

Bud - She spawned last year









Bud again (She's taken a dislike to the male this year, so looks like her eggs will be wasted  )









Weis - The other female who dropped her spawn all over the soil last year









and finally the man of the group... You guessed it... Er !!









and here's a few pics I took at my local reserve on Sunday
(I'll spare you the rant about the horseriders riding through the lake!!)

Frogspawn (How many clumps!?!)









Toad mating ball !









The creature from the black lagoon :lol2:









and a couple of vids too!

Toads spawning and breeding 2012

Toad mating ball 2012


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Cracking photo`s

Mike


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Quick update and another pic and vid

Well, I woke up this morning to this....










Only time will tell if it's fertilised tho.

The male was quite frisky too.. croaking from behind a fake plant so I croaked back to draw him out and got this vid... nothing spectacular... but cool all the same.

Common Frog croaking 2012


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Well I came home from work tonight to find a clump of spawn.
It`s taken them long enough but at least it`s now happened.
If I can get any photos at the weekend i`ll post them.

Mike


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)

The eggs are starting to hatch! The first tadpoles are now sitting on the 'jelly'.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Thats good news mate.
I just got a photo of mine.
Not as many as I was hoping for but i`m thinking that the dead frog I found last year may have been one of the females as I know I had more than one.
Hopefully now that they`re settled in and been laying for 3 years now i`ll have a steady flow of adults coming along.

Mike


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## Wolfenrook (Jul 2, 2010)

Aye, it seems I spoke to soon, spotted this yesterday in our pond:-










Just makes me sadder now that before we move I have to rip the pond out.

Ade


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## fardilis (Mar 22, 2011)




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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Nice one.
I`ll have to be checking mine as I saw the tads forming but not been back to check them.

Mike


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