# Tadpoles for my garden pond



## macauirr

Hi everybody!

I am new on this forum, so apologies for my poor knowledge of how this works.

The question is simple:

a) I would like to get a good supply of frog tadpoles to populate my garden pond, so that it becomes their natural habitat from now on.
Does anybody in this forum have tadpoles for sale?
Ideally in London, or near it. I am in London NW9.

b) Finally...does anybody know of any good place in London where to buy tortoises? Any species which could easily live in my garden, get used to it, and make of it its natural habitat.

Thanks very much!


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## Bradley

macauirr said:


> Hi everybody!
> 
> I am new on this forum, so apologies for my poor knowledge of how this works.
> 
> The question is simple:
> 
> a) I would like to get a good supply of frog tadpoles to populate my garden pond, so that it becomes their natural habitat from now on.
> Does anybody in this forum have tadpoles for sale?
> Ideally in London, or near it. I am in London NW9.
> 
> b) Finally...does anybody know of any good place in London where to buy tortoises? Any species which could easily live in my garden, get used to it, and make of it its natural habitat.
> 
> Thanks very much!


You may be best asking a neighbour for tadpoles. Frogs will find it and spwan there eventually as every pond was new once.

Regarding tortoises you are best asking in the shelled section. You would still need to keep the tortoise inside in a sutible enclosure with heat and uv. they can only be put in the garden on warm days and England does not get many of those!


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## stevemet

To the best of my knowledge it is illegal to sell British amphibians and it is illegal to release non-natives into the wild, which I think a non secure garden would be classed as. There is also a worry about disease being spread among amphibians by well meaning people spreading spawn around different locations. If you have a suitable pond and there are frogs in the area I am sure they will find and colonise your pond of their own accord. Sorry if this sounds a bit negative but I am fairly certain that this is accurate information. Sorry I can`t help with tortoise suppliers but please make sure a tortoise can get out of the pond ok if it were to fall in as in my experience they are great at climbing into places they should not be.


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## marcuswinner1

Its right that you cannot buy or sell native Amphibians, although I would say that if someone near by to you gave you some tadpoles to stock your new pond then the risks would be minimal and this would be perfectly legal.

Good point on making sure the tortoise can get out of the pond should it fall in (or better still make sure it cant fall in in the first place!). Escape proofing your garden is also an obvious must.

An ex of mines mother had a tortoise that lived in the garden and every autumn it burried itself and popped up in the spring! It did this for decades with no problems, that said this is not ideal. (obviously alot of this depends on species with tortoises but better to ask these Q's in the shelled section as stated already)

Marcus.


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## macauirr

Marcus, Bradley and Steve...

Wow! I am impressed by the mega-quick response to my post! THANK YOU very much! What a great community you are!

I will surely follow your advice, and I am looking forward to seeing those elusive frogs conquering my pond!

There was one day last year when, while mowing the lawn, I discovered a beautiful greenish frog of a considerable size hiding in the long grass. Luckily, the machine blades did not hit it!
After observing her for some time, and when all the grass was cut, I put her back in the garden. I never saw her (or other) again, but this shows that there ARE frogs around, and they should eventually come.
Of course, unless they are too scared of the lawnmower! 

Best,
Ismael


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## Wolfenrook

If you want to encourage them, try leaving the grass a bit longer near to the pond. More cover will make them feel safer.

Ade


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## colinm

Go to your local pond and take some to put in your in your garden pond.Assuming that they are Common Frogs or Common Toads taking a few is fine and not illegal.If you do this for three or four years you will soon get a population in your garden.Dont take too many just be sensible.


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## ephiedoodle

is it a myth that if you take spawn from a pond and move it
the frogs will try and return to their original spawning place ?
it shouldn't take long for a pond to become inhabited by wildlife,
plant it and enjoy watching it grow.


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## Ron Magpie

Yep, it's a myth. Frogs aren't too fussy about where they spawn anyway; any reasonable volume of water will do.
Toads tend to be a bit more selective- for one thing, they like deeper, more permenant ponds, and they tend to return to ponds _where they were raised_- the actual spawn doesn't know where it came from, but toadlets do.


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## ephiedoodle

i was hoping for toad spawn(garden ones) this year,however a nice
clump of frogs was welcome,all free swimming now ,only put the pond in last year.
:2thumb:


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## Ron Magpie

Years ago, when I had a house in the middle of town (Medway), frogs moved in before I had even finished the edging! The real joy, though, was that toads quickly followed. I can only think that there must have been an original breeding pond close by- as in within the 'island' of gardens surrounded by houses and roads.


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