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Post by faith on Sept 26, 2015 10:19:07 GMT
I have never had a pond before (it is tiny – just an old Belfast sink) but I collected some frog spawn, which duly hatched into several dozen tadpoles. About a month ago, these had hind legs and were looking quite happy. I then went away for four days, and when I came back there were just a couple left. Twice I have seen a big fully grown frog in the pond for a day or two. Could he have eaten them??
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Post by aeshna5 on Sept 26, 2015 15:07:07 GMT
I'm slightly confused as the title of the thread said froglets, which assumes they have metamorphosed + left the water, whereas the text implies to me they were still tadpoles in the water with hind legs but not metamorphosed yet? If they have left the water then a Common Frog would certainly take a tiny froglet but so would many other things. However if they were still aquatic + not left the water possibly something else such as a dragonfly or water beetle larva may have predated them if they are not hiding. Even things like Blackbirds + corvids will take tadpoles from a sink like this. Perhaps they have metamorphosed + dispersed to cover but mortality will be high.
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Post by faith on Sept 26, 2015 16:25:20 GMT
I meant, I suppose, why haven't I seen any of the froglets I was so looking forward to seeing? They were half-metamorphosed, but surely they can't all have suddenly completed the process and hopped away in just four days? If something like a blackbird (there aren't any dragonflies etc.) was going to eat them why would it wait for so many weeks and then suddenly scoff the lot?
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Post by aeshna5 on Sept 26, 2015 19:41:02 GMT
If a Blackbid were the culprit it's possible it had only just discovered them. There are so many possibilities that I doubt you'll ever really know. Hope some did successfully emerge on a warm damp night.
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Post by faith on Sept 26, 2015 20:03:53 GMT
Oh thank you for your good wishes, I will let you know.
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Post by dogghound on Sept 28, 2015 6:47:04 GMT
Once froglets leave a pond they disperse widely and don't particularly stay near to the pond (in fact it's best they don't linger near to the pond due to increase numbers of predators). Instead they will disperse then find areas in which to hide particularly dense damp vegetation, logs piles, leaf litter and so on. Any area which provides cover, invertebrate food and is humid.
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Post by faith on Sept 28, 2015 8:13:07 GMT
Thanks for the info – I was really looking forward to seeing all the froglets jump out of the pond and go on their way, but I prefer to think I just missed it, rather than that they all got eaten while still in the pond. I'll try again next year . . .
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Post by dogghound on Sept 29, 2015 5:55:40 GMT
If you want to see it a mild damp cloudy night is often the best time for emergence.
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Post by faith on Dec 2, 2015 15:16:20 GMT
Aha! I was clearing leaves from the pond today and disturbed a little frog! It was under the leaves quite near the surface. So my pond has had some success after all. Now would that be a frog from one of the original tadpoles, or is it more likely to be one that has migrated from elsewhere?
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Post by dogghound on Dec 3, 2015 8:00:18 GMT
Can't possibly say, how big was it? It's unusual but not impossible, for them to return to the pond whilst they are juveniles.
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Post by faith on Dec 3, 2015 21:03:15 GMT
I just saw it swim off, with hindlegs stretched out I would say about 4cm.
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Post by NellyDee on Dec 16, 2015 9:37:39 GMT
I meant, I suppose, why haven't I seen any of the froglets I was so looking forward to seeing? They were half-metamorphosed, but surely they can't all have suddenly completed the process and hopped away in just four days? If something like a blackbird (there aren't any dragonflies etc.) was going to eat them why would it wait for so many weeks and then suddenly scoff the lot? Yes they can 'hop off'. I had a pond full of tad poles and they all metamorphosed on one day. at the time I got really worried as masses of froglets were all around the pond along the path and over the lawn and I was trying to save the ones that were aiming for the drain holes. I think it is more than likely yours just headed off for cover. |
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