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Ringo
New Member
United Kingdom
68 Posts |
 Posted - 02/13/2007 : 04:54:49
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It is sweltering today and I managed to make my way around the park with only one coat on. The warm weather has triggered some outrageous behaviour in my garden pond and I need some help and advice.
Yesterday I saw three pairs of frogs at the bottom of my pond apparently in some sort of death hug. The males were all dull and dark green whilst the females were a lighter gold colour with largs spots. At least I am assuming the males were the ones doing most of the clinging onto the females.
Anyway, I had heard that females can sometimes drown due to the prolonged and over amorous affections of the males so to give the poor ladies a helping hand a fished one pair out with a broom.
Now to be honest they didn't look best pleased and far from appearing to thank me for my efforts they jumped back in, sank to the bottom and continued with their WWF impersonations.
I have two questions. 1. Is it true that females can sometimes drown if held under the water for too long. 2. How long can a frog hold its breath underwater. 3. Why are lady frogs prettier than men frogs?
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Ringo
New Member
United Kingdom
68 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2007 : 05:01:25
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....and another question!
One of my goldfish was lying particularly still and appeared to be rather dead. Once again a poke with my broom seemed to spark it into action and it swam gracefully away. Now, two possibilities spring to mind. Either it was having a little nap in the pebbles covering the lily pot...or...it was thinking about or may even have laid some eggs.
Any thoughts. Is it the right time of year for carp caviar or was my fishy friend just putting his fins up? |
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Teresa Green
Starting Member
2 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2007 : 11:22:34
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kill the fish!! kill the fish!! fish are evil in wildlife ponds and will eat all the frog spawn if you haven't already killed all the passion in your froggy friends!!
lady frogs can die from the stress of having lots of men frogs clambering all over them (i know how they feel!!)but they would have to be held under water for a very long time..... |
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Ringo
New Member
United Kingdom
68 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2007 : 17:17:02
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 I can't believe a conservationist is recommending killing off some of god's creatures! Is it because they are foreign? Would native fish in a garden pond expect the same treatment? Would the frogs eat the fish eggs? So many questions.... |
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JOHN
Starting Member
United Kingdom
42 Posts |
Posted - 02/15/2007 : 13:35:30
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Can only offer some of the answers about "common" frogs.
Male frogs are smaller and darker than females. (probably of mediterranean origin)
Frogs lay their eggs (spawn) the end of February/early march. The water is colder then and so retains more oxygen. The tadpoles are gill breathing animals, as fish are. When they metamorphose into frogs they become lung breathing. Although frogs' nostrils, and eyes, are situated high, as with crocodiles, so that they can see and breathe while mostly submerged; and they also have the added advantage that they breathe through their skin; I suspect that being lung breathing animals, if held totally submerged for long enough, they would drown.
It takes about five months from laying of eggs to get to the froglet stage, and, if you remember the walk around Langley Park with John Thingey after a day in the House, we saw masses of froglets hopping across the path by the Ha-Ha just north of the House, and that was late July/early August?
All that I know about fish can be summed up in one word, "Yummy"! |
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Ringo
New Member
United Kingdom
68 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2007 : 08:42:49
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....unless of course you are French in which case the frog's legs would favourite!
I was speaking with a friend recently who is a member of the British Carp Association (or similar title). He told me that some of the recent immigrants from Eastern Europe are catching and eating Carp from local rivers and streams. I also read in the papers about some poor swans who ended up on someone's dinner tables. Funny how tastes differ. |
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andymo
Starting Member
United Kingdom
26 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2007 : 14:35:44
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We have had one or two ducks go missing from our own little lake too.. Eastern Europeans often fish on the other side..... they are obviously not wildlife orientated like we Brits...... Sorry to any Eastern Europeans who are reading this and are animal lovers !!!!!
Frogs and Toads are wonderful little creatures. We have always had a pond at my dads, from when I was little they always fascinated me. Toads especially are good for the garden, they eat the slugs and even the woodlice.... Sometimes also if you lift a stone or rock and find a toad underneath they croak at you. They are friendly little creatures.... |
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Ringo
New Member
United Kingdom
68 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2007 : 09:38:59
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| We had a toad in our garden many years ago but we also had a cat called Sox who was a bit of a hunter (as the RSPCA man noted on the form when he took Sox away. Anyway, you can guess the middle part of the story but you are right in saying that he 'croaked'. Very sad. Ended up sitting on the decking with one leg missing and in a state of some shock. I think he was literally petrified! |
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Summer is here!!!
