The Princes On The Lily Pads

People often think of frogs as ugly, spotty, slimy creatures that are stigmatised with the idea of turning into a handsome prince with a single kiss. But why would you want them to turn into yet another human when they are oh so special, just the way they are. They might have a bit of an image problem but look past that and you’ll see the common frog is a clever, witty and unique amphibian that deserves our attention

just as much as cute, big eyed mammals like hedgehogs and rabbits.

While the frog is not currently on the endangered list, their numbers have rapidly declined over the last 10 years and this is mainly thought to be due to a loss of habitat (lack of ponds and water sources) and climate change which just like with our fellow hedgehogs is confusing them into laying frogs spawn too early, only to be killed off by frosts and freezing temperatures into march time.

So the basics- first off, frogs are amphibians, this means they are a cold-blooded animals unlike a mammal which is warm blooded. Some people get them confused with toads, but they are easily distinguished from one another. A frog has smooth wet skin, strong long webbed feet, ideal for swimming, a greenish spotted appearance with two bulging eyes and they lay eggs in water.

Whereas the common toad tends to be brown, muddy coloured in appearance with sunken eyes, their skin tends to be dry and warty and their back legs are shorter and better for hopping and burying themselves under mud. Also they lay their eggs in soil not in water.

Frogs spend most of their lives in water, whether they’re feasting on flies, mating or even hibernating during the winter in the lower depths of ponds and lakes where it’s warmer - there nearly always there! Their normal life cycle is an impressive 7 years or sometime longer. For their small size, they can cover some considerable distance and will hop from pond to pond searching for food and somewhere to rest. They have an amazing skill of having a sort of inbuilt compass which instinctively tells them which direction water is in. They do this through their skin which senses water droplets in the air and they use this to navigate their way to fresh water sources. Pretty clever

really! They lay their eggs called frog spawn each spring and these eventually hatch into tadpoles which slowly grow legs until their tail falls off and they become tiny perfectly formed frogs.

During the months of winter they will be well covered in layers of mud and plants at the very bottom of a pond- they go into hibernation mode and their bodies partly shut down, conserving oxygen and switching off the brain so that the heart beats only just enough to keep the frog alive but not to use up any unnecessary energy- if only humans could do this?

In Swaffham Prior we are blessed with an amazing array of wildlife, this includes frogs and having so many large ponds is an encouraging incentive for them to arrive at our door step. Within our garden pond alone, each spring we can get up to 35 frogs at one time mating and we can sometimes hear their croaks all the way from the house. They also serve us the benefit of eating unwanted flying insects and won’t eat bees which we need to fertilise our flowers and plants-bonus!

So what can we do to help them along? Well, for a start, during the hot summer months the frogs ability to find water can sometimes become disorientated and you may come across a frog near a road or path looking rather sorry for itself. The most important thing to do is to pick them up and take them to a water source, if you have a neighbour with a pond then this would do nicely, if their skin feels really dry and dehydrated then wet them, this will make them more alert.

Second, make your garden frog friendly by having a corner that is left natural with weeds, wild flowers and wood logs, this gives them a nice habitat. Bear in mind that if your garden is tightly enclosed with fencing so that not even a frog can get under, then it’s likely you’re going to see any. Thirdly and most importantly- water! The great thing about frogs is that except for mating season, they’re really not that picky about where to swim and feed. You don’t need to have a big expensive pond, you can create a small homemade pond (an ideal thing to do with the kids). Get a small plastic tub, fill it with

water and place it in a quiet spot of the garden, ideally among tall grass or trees. Place some rocks in it to make it more inviting and if you wish, you can buy an oxygenating aquatic plant which will help to keep the water healthy- if not then some flowers or old branches will suffice as this will provide shelter for the frog. They seem partial to gerberas, as these attract flies.

Remember though if you are putting normal flowers in your make shift pond, they do need changing every month otherwise they’ll go off and turn the water murky. At the very least by doing this, you are providing a service station for frogs to re-hydrate their skin and have a swim.

For four years now we’ve had the same frog with three distinctive spots. Shabba arrives in the spring and stays the summer but rather then heading for the pond, he seems satisfied to reside in an old red tub under the outside sink with only some water and some flowers for company, so you see sometimes a tub is just as good. Lastly if you’re really keen to help the population of frogs and you have a pond, if you see frog spawn appearing and you’re worried that it’s too cold or there’s going to be a frost, then the best thing you can do is get a plastic tub or tray, put some water from the pond

in it and gently using a net or plastic bag scoop up the frog spawn into the tray.

Frog spawn is not as fragile as people think and you won’t kill it, moving it though may damage it but its better then leaving it all to die. Make sure the frog spawn has enough water and place it in an outbuilding or garage, anywhere that is protected from the frost and birds as birds will pick at it given the chance.

But try not to keep it in containers for more than two days and then pour it back into the pond where you found it, when it’s warmer again and if necessary you can take it back out and repeat this process until they’ve turned into tadpoles or its mild. Important pointer- gold fish and coy fish will eat tadpoles so ideally keep it in a protected area of the pond e.g behind plant pots or a stone arrangement so that less of it can be got at.

Let’s help our little princes to go about their lives and educate people to help, not to wince away from them because they’re green. Give them a go, you’ll love them in the end!