# Native species appreciation



## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

I have created this thread because I think that out native amohibians are all too often overlooked and ignored. One of the best things to do for UK native amphibians is make a garden pond. I have a wildlife pond and I eagerly await the arrival of amphibians every spring. I feel that our native species are just as interesting as some of your more exotic species, I will add some photos of palmate newts and common frogs. Everybody is welcome to add to this, and share photos of native species, if you have them. :2thumb:

Stuart


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

We have several ponds as we keep turtles. They are back indoors now for the winter. We have newts, frogs and toads, but they don't live in the turtle ponds!


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Common frogs 



And palmate newts 






And a pool frog


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Stephen P said:


> We have several ponds as we keep turtles. They are back indoors now for the winter. We have newts, frogs and toads, but they don't live in the turtle ponds!


I wonder why that is!? Haha :lol2: I keep a pair of musk turtles, but in a tank, and I can see exactly why they don't live in the turtle ponds.

Stuart


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

Great idea for a thread  I do have a rather large soft spot for our natives, after all.. that's where the passion all started!
Sadly I don't get out and about with the camera as much as I'd like! But I have a couple of common frog pictures, both taken in Wales a few years ago. One of which I have quite fond memories of, seeing as I do love the red colouration they sometimes have, and this little guy just leapt out at me whilst walking through the woods!








and a normal one who was less keen to have his picture taken!


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

i wish i had pics of my frog corner i had as a child, we lived on the outskirts of wakefield and had a massive garden, at the bottom we had trees etc and i built myself a little compost kinda heap but with plenty of branches etc. in my pond i had 'albino frogs' (leucistic is it ?)


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I have some pics somewhere but can't find them right now of smooth newts that we have in our garden. I come across them every year.


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Drayvan said:


> Great idea for a thread  I do have a rather large soft spot for our natives, after all.. that's where the passion all started!
> Sadly I don't get out and about with the camera as much as I'd like! But I have a couple of common frog pictures, both taken in Wales a few years ago. One of which I have quite fond memories of, seeing as I do love the red colouration they sometimes have, and this little guy just leapt out at me whilst walking through the woods!
> image
> and a normal one who was less keen to have his picture taken!
> image


The native species are what got me fixed on amphibians too. Raising tadpoles was one of my first experiences of them.

Stuart


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> i wish i had pics of my frog corner i had as a child, we lived on the outskirts of wakefield and had a massive garden, at the bottom we had trees etc and i built myself a little compost kinda heap but with plenty of branches etc. in my pond i had 'albino frogs' (leucistic is it ?)


 That's really cool, albinos are rarely found, if they had pink eyes they were full albinos, if they have black eyes it can be called partial albinism or leucistic.

Stuart


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Actually we don't have a garden pond,my mate next door has a monster so we do the other bit: provide all those rough areas, hiding places,hibernacuala no sprays or chemicals,basically all the malarky that serves then through the rest of the year. Ok I don't see all the tads efts,but they only visit him..... for the rest of the year they come to us:flrt:.

All my pics are pretty much elsewhere Stuey but I don't feel the natives are under appreciated,by and large they just don't live in the house tis all. Nowt more special than wondering up the garden path very late avoiding toads or finding one bathing in a plant tray in the height of summer,couldn't be without them mate

Stu


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

_simon_ said:


> I have some pics somewhere but can't find them right now of smooth newts that we have in our garden. I come across them every year.


If you find them just stick them on here  I get the odd smooth newt in my garden, but I have a much larger population of palmates


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Stupot1610 said:


> That's really cool, albinos are rarely found, if they had pink eyes they were full albinos, if they have black eyes it can be called partial albinism or leucistic.
> 
> Stuart


they had red eyes. we did inform the local society in the hope they'd look after them, instead i couldnt touch the pond lol


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

soundstounite said:


> Actually we don't have a garden pond,my mate next door has a monster so we do the other bit: provide all those rough areas, hiding places,hibernacuala no sprays or chemicals,basically all the malarky that serves then through the rest of the year. Ok I don't see all the tads efts,but they only visit him..... for the rest of the year they come to us:flrt:.
> 
> All my pics are pretty much elsewhere Stuey but I don't feel the natives are under appreciated,by and large they just don't live in the house tis all. Nowt more special than wondering up the garden path very late avoiding toads or finding one bathing in a plant tray in the height of summer,couldn't be without them mate
> 
> Stu


That's very true, I suppose that we just don't hear that much about them because people aren't keeping them and breeding them, like you are with your (fantastic looking, I must say) dart frogs.

Stuart


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> they had red eyes. we did inform the local society in the hope they'd look after them, instead i couldnt touch the pond lol


So the local society looked after them? Or did they just tell you not to touch the pond?

Stuart


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

Stupot1610 said:


> So the local society looked after them? Or did they just tell you not to touch the pond?
> 
> Stuart


told me not to do owt with the pond, just let it do its thing, mind you we had an insane amount of wildlife, we found a stoat in our front garden once, the cats went nuts


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> told me not to do owt with the pond, just let it do its thing, mind you we had an insane amount of wildlife, we found a stoat in our front garden once, the cats went nuts


It's great having loads of wildlife around you. My house and garden back onto a big forest full of allsorts of wildlife. A bit off topic but, I looked out the front window once to see a deer munching on one of the neighbours hydrangeas! 

Stuart


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Some photos of whats hiding in my pond.


Mike


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Some big frogs you have there! I like the reddish ones, not that I don't like the others though. When I was on holiday up in the highlands we spotted a common frog that had a red back and a yellow belly.


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## Meefloaf (Mar 24, 2013)

lol i forgot about mike's pond


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Some of my natives, past and present.


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

Meefloaf said:


> lol i forgot about mike's pond
> 
> 
> image


Ah yes I remember seeing that in the spring :lol2:

Stuart


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

REDDEV1L said:


> Some of my natives, past and present.
> 
> image
> 
> ...


They're cool, you have some big toads there! Haha

Stuart


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

I just popped out to feed the guinea pigs, and coincidentally a rather large, mean looking frog quickly hopped into the pond.


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## herper123 (Oct 14, 2012)

I've got wild musk turtles living in my pond with loads of common frogs and natterjack toads around the edges under slate and rocks. I love them!


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

That's interesting, how did the musk turtles get there?
Also are they definitely natterjack toads? as they are very rare and a garden pond isn't exactly suitable habitat for them I would think they are more likely to be common toads.

Stuart


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## herper123 (Oct 14, 2012)

Stupot1610 said:


> That's interesting, how did the musk turtles get there?
> 
> Stuart


I rescued them from a pond that was being built upon. They are breeding happily and live well with the other species in my pond.


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## herper123 (Oct 14, 2012)

@stupot


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## herper123 (Oct 14, 2012)

Stupot1610 said:


> That's interesting, how did the musk turtles get there?
> Also are they definitely natterjack toads? as they are very rare and a garden pond isn't exactly suitable habitat for them I would think they are more likely to be common toads.
> 
> Stuart


My pond has Sand and dry areas around it with warm raise. I also get slow worms and grass snakes. Sometimes viviparous lizards basking when it's really hot.


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

That does sound like natterjack toad habitat. But how did the musk turtles get there?

Stuart


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## herper123 (Oct 14, 2012)

Stupot1610 said:


> That does sound like natterjack toad habitat. But how did the musk turtles get there?
> 
> Stuart


The musk turtles I rescued from a near by pond which was going to be pitted. I put about 5 in my pond and they have been successfully breeding since.


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## rooneymae (Oct 31, 2014)

1st post ...forgive me if it's wrong..
Here's a frog from garden ..


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

herper123 said:


> The musk turtles I rescued from a near by pond which was going to be pitted. I put about 5 in my pond and they have been successfully breeding since.


Sorry I missed your others post. That's cool.

Stuart


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## Stupot1610 (Jul 6, 2013)

rooneymae said:


> 1st post ...forgive me if it's wrong..
> Here's a frog from garden ..image


Yeah that's a nice looking common frog. No problem with it at all:2thumb:

Stuart


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