At Wildcares, frogs are a common sight all over the Nature Reserve since we have reinstated and created, so much wetland habitat.
Unfortunately, throughout the countrywide the story is mostly very different. Our Common frog is by no means, as its name might suggest, as common as it once was.
The fascinating Common Frog is the only species of frog in Ireland and is listed as an internationally important species. They are protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Irish Wildlife Act.
They are one of only 3 species of native amphibian found in Ireland – the other two being the Natterjack Toad and the Smooth Newt. Being an amphibian means they can survive in the water and on land.
Underwater they effectively breathe through their skin and on land they breathe through nostrils.
Our Common Frog – Rana temporaria is a stunningly beautiful, fascinating and a vitally important creature in our landscape.
Frogs congregating for spawning in one of the 45 wildlife Ponds at Wildacres Nature Reserve.
To understand how important the Common frog is, we need to look at its incredible lifecycle.
The adult frogs emerge from hibernation, triggered by the subtle temperature change from the transition of the seasons, from late Winter into Spring. Depending on how far north the location, this can be as early as January, but more commonly for us here in the south of Ireland, they emerge from hibernation in mid to late February/early March.
The males are the first to emerge, often heading to the body of water they were born in, but will readily colonise new ponds and ditches. There, they will congregate and sing with their familiar rumbling croak to attract a female.
As soon as the female arrives, the males will battle and jostle to be the first to mate with the female. The male will clasp onto the female from behind, and they can remain in this embrace, termed Amplexus, for up to a couple of days.
Amplexus is the scientific term for frogs mating embrace
The female will release her spawn to be fertilised by the male externally. This spawn consisting of hundreds of eggs, will hatch into tiny tadpoles within a couple of weeks, grow rapidly and metamorphose into tiny froglets, ready to leave the pond in June/July.
Frogspawn at Wildacres
In their aquatic larval stage as Tadpoles, and when they metamorphosize into adult frogs, they are an incredibly important food source for so many other animals. Dragonfly nymphs, Diving Beetles, Fish, some Birds such as Blackbirds, Egret, Grebes and more, will feed on these tadpoles.
Tadpoles at Wildacres
Then as adult frogs, again they are a very important source of food for a vast array of creatures such as Buzzards, Heron, Egrets, Owls, Pine marten, Otter, Fox and lots of other animals.
They only need ponds and ditches to mate and spawn in and sometimes as a hibernation site. Otherwise, all year long they will hide away in damp vegetation, pond margins, hedgerows, long grasslands and near marshes.
Frog hiding in damp vegetation
In winter, frogs hide under log and rock piles, tree stumps, hedges and sometimes buried in the mud at the bottom of ponds, where they hibernate until spring when temperatures rise again.
As adult frogs their diet consists of slugs, worms, spiders, flies and other invertebrates. They do not eat aquatic creatures. The frog’s long sticky tongue is attached to the front part of the mouth, so that it can flick out to catch food.
Some Colour Variations of Frogs, pictured at Wildacres.
The adults can change their skin pigmentation colouring, to match their surroundings to blend in. See the pictures here all taken at Wildacres showing some of the beautiful skin colours and patterns they can exhibit.
Some More Colour Variations of Frogs at Wildacres.
Frogs are considered what they term as a Bio-indicator species. As they readily absorb compounds through their skin they are one of the first animals to suffer when pollution enters the environment and as such their presence or conversely, their absence, is a good indicator of the health of that environment.
We love to see them emerge at Wildacres, as it is such an indication of life reawakening, after the long Winter.
More Colour Variations of Frogs all at Wildacres.
If you would like to help conserve these beautiful and fascinating creatures, as well as so many more equally important species.
Why not join us at Wildacres on our ever popular Creating a Wildlife Ponds Workshop here
We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to Wildacres.
