Questions about Frogs in my Pond

March 9, 2013 4:20 PM

I have frogs in my UK (Southampton) Pond! A friend took a picture and they look like this. I think they look like pool frogs, not common frogs, which I would love to get confirmed. So, questions. Is the Pool Frog hypothesis feasible? Will the huge quantity of weeds on top of the pond harm them at all? They can't seem to easily leave the pond (there is a rocky overhang which they can't navigate), is there a way to help them, or is it even a problem at all? Finally, is there anything I can do to make their stay in my garden safer for them? I'd rather avoid disturbing them too much, but I would like to encourage future frogs.
posted by ElliotH to Pets & Animals (4 answers total)

They'd probably love some live bait worms. I tried everything until I stumbled on those as frog food, and they could eat vast quantities, in an entertaining manner.
posted by StickyCarpet at 4:57 PM on March 9, 2013

Best answer: Frogs is wonderful. We have a board that runs into the water and out on the rocks (anchored securely) for our summer frogs to go in and out. There is also a small pile of rocks that they can get up on in the middle of the pond where they bask in the sun. There are empty ceramic flowerpots and lots of 'frog houses' made of bricks piled with a hidey-hole, so the cats can't get the froggies if they come on land. There's lots of greenery also. What seemed to make the difference with our frogs is making sure the moisture remained constant. We now water the garden the same amount, the same time every day when it gets really hot.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:29 AM on March 10, 2013

Best answer: Pool frog is very unlikely. They and for example also marsh frogs are quite green. Your one looks quite brown and is probably a common frog, although a full body shot would be useful. Brilliant things to have in the garden though.The duckweed, for that is what it is, is not in itself a problem. You might sometimes wants to clean out with a cheap plastic sieve a fairly large proportion of duckweed because it will grow back very very quickly. It's not a massive problem if you do not although sometimes if it all rots after a freeze it can cause problems so a bit of "pruning" wouldn't be a bad thing from time to time maybe just once a year.

As far as looking after them is concerned, the most serious problem would be cats/herons, and accidental run off into the pond of garden chemicals. You may want to think carefully about using for example spray pesticides at all nearby. I don't think it's so much a problem that they don't seem to be able to get out, because they probably can, but if you wanted to make a more obvious ladder for them it would do no harm.
posted by cromagnon at 1:58 AM on March 10, 2013

Agree about this more likely being a common frog. This information from the RSPCA might be of some help too, particularly this passage regarding the weeds:

Ponds should not be disturbed between February and September in order to reduce the risk of disturbing breeding and young animals. The best time to clear out unwanted weeds or mud is in early autumn, before any frogs have started to hibernate in the mud at the bottom of the pond over the winter.

Might be worth dropping them a line if you're at all concerned.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 7:32 AM on March 10, 2013