How long since you have seen a Frog or Toad?

[Mups]

Something in my gardening magazine today,  took me right back to my childhood.

They were talking about Frogs, Toads, Slow Worms, Lizards, Newts, Hedgehogs,  and even Grass Snakes.
When I was a kid, these things were in abundance,  but how long is it since most of us have seen any of these now?

We used to have frog spawn at school to show the kids how it changes into tadpoles.  I used to love watching the little 'full stops'  gradually turning into 'commas.'
I bet not many of todays youngsters have ever seen that,  most are probably too busy on the internet.

My Mum always had a little garden pond too,  and there were always frogs and newts and spawn in there.

Mum used to take me and my brother for walks in the local park, where we often used to watch tiny baby frogs everywhere in the grass.
Me and some friends also used to go to a place called 'The Quarry'  and watch the Great Crested Newts with their bright orange bellies.  There were Slow Worms too.

My brother used to like reptiles more,  but I have never been into snakes, and certainly wouldn't be happy if any were living in my garden! I didn't mind the slow worms though - legless lizards they call them.

Wherever we lived, Mum & Dad always had a small garden pond too,  right up until I eventually lost both parents.  In the breeding season there were baby frogs everywhere in her lawn.  I had to be so careful when I cut the grass for her.

Hedgehogs are in serious decline nowadays too,  I like them as well.

The more they build on our open spaces and fields,  the less these little creatures will exist. 
Most of tomorrow's children will never have even  seen one,  and will have little knowledge of nature, and I thinks that is sad.

Sorry if I have rambled.  I know its not everyone's cup of tea,  but that article and the photos of these little animals today  took me right back to the past. 

[muddy]

You are so right Mups .
Buildings and the fashion for fences without passage for little animals .
I haven't seen a frog or toad for years 

[Michael Rolls]

Nor me

[GrannyMac]

Nor me.  I seem to remember Phil/Diasi feeding hedgehogs in his garden. 

[Raven]

It's years since I saw any toads or frogs, mum used to take us to Scone Park sometimes, there's a very well established pond there and we used to fish tadpoles out, to take home to a glass tank. We let the frogs go in the river when they got bigger.

[JBR]

Recently.
We have a small fish pond; only goldfish (ten), but also a regular collection of frogs which produced a fairly large clump of frogspawn earlier this year, followed by tadpoles of course.  I estimated many thousands of eggs, but of course most don't survive.  Nevertheless, we still have several frogs either in or near the pond, or a particular secluded area where they prefer to go to have sex!
I feed the fish daily, but don't put anything else down for the frogs, as I think that they can look after themselves.

[Mups]

I think it is so sad.   Only JBR has seen some frogs and their spawn this year.  Good on yer, JB.
I bet most grandchildren have never seen a one at all, nor a Newt. 

In fact if it hasn't got a keyboard or things to press and click,  they probably wouldn't be interested anyway.   Are  there any interested in nature these days?

How times change ey.  It makes me feel very old.   

[Michael Rolls]

Me too

[JBR]

I think it is so sad.  Only JBR has seen some frogs and their spawn this year.  Good on yer, JB.

I am not wishing to sound off(!), but we are very fortunate to have frogspawn and tadpoles every year.  One of Marge's friends usually asks for some frogspawn as soon as it appears, and she is very welcome to it.  I gather that her's usually don't seem to hatch out for some reason.

[Mups]

I am not wishing to sound off(!), but we are very fortunate to have frogspawn and tadpoles every year.  One of Marge's friends usually asks for some frogspawn as soon as it appears, and she is very welcome to it.  I gather that her's usually don't seem to hatch out for some reason.

Does the spawn you give Marge's friend usually hatch or not, do you know, JBR?
Does her spawn disappear - or just not hatch?

The reason I ask is because frogs sometimes eat each other's spawn, (and  tadpoles),  I am not sure why.
Whether it could be to keep competition out of their patch,  or maybe they are just plain hungry,  I don't know.
So if the Marge's friend gets spawn laid,  but then it disappears,  that will be why,  and this is why I asked if your spawn 'transplant'  works,  or does that disappear too?

Pond fish will also eat tadpoles too.

[JBR]

Does the spawn you give Marge's friend usually hatch or not, do you know, JBR?
Does her spawn disappear - or just not hatch?

The reason I ask is because frogs sometimes eat each other's spawn, (and  tadpoles),  I am not sure why.
Whether it could be to keep competition out of their patch,  or maybe they are just plain hungry,  I don't know.
So if the Marge's friend gets spawn laid,  but then it disappears,  that will be why,  and this is why I asked if your spawn 'transplant'  works,  or does that disappear too?

Pond fish will also eat tadpoles too.

Thank you Mups.
I have asked Marge, but she hasn't seen Angela for a while.  She is seeing her on Wednesday and will ask about the frogspawn.
I didn't know that frogs eat each others' spawn, or tadpoles.  I have often wondered when there has been so many frogspawn eggs and later tadpoles, yet I have not seen more than two or three adult frogs.
I didn't know that goldfish eat tadpoles.  Hopefully, many of them hatch out in shallow water above pot plants where the fish can't go.  I do feed the fish every day anyway, so surely they're not hungry, I hope!

[Scrumpy]

As a child I was frightened of frogs.. Silly really..
 I haven't seen one in the garden for a few years..

[Mups]

As a child I was frightened of frogs.. Silly really..
 I haven't seen one in the garden for a few years..

Do you think it is true that if we kiss one,  he will turn into a handsome Prince?   

[klondike]

No wonder you're on the lookout for frogs... 

[JBR]

Do you think it is true that if we kiss one,  he will turn into a handsome Prince?   

Does it work for blokes, and it turns into a beautiful princess?