Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty Hinge[_2_]
David WE Roberts wrote:
I found about 50 newts and 100 frogs burried in the sludge at the bottom
of the pond.
I had no idea that there were so many there.
It wasn't the mating season.
So I am now sceptical when people say that they only come to water to mate.
Toads, yes, but not frogs and newts.
In dry weather they'll make for a pond. Otherwise they find a nice damp
spot to lurk during the day.
At present, my garden is heaving and hopping with frogs, toads and
newts. The nearest pond is three doors away.
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I don't think it is just dry weather. Yes, frogs do like a pond if it's hot and dry; one of our ponds is slow to warm in spring, so they don't use it for spawning. But in a hot summer, they edge is ringed with frogs. This year it has been neither hot nor dry, but we still have frogs in the main pond and in a sink full of water down the veg area, as well as in all the usual places like amongst the strawberries.
Newts are also still in the pond - though also amongst the strawberries and under flowerpots.
I wonder whether some frogs and newts hunt near a pond and therefore use the pond as a base, whereas others find they need to go further afield, so have to find a different hiding place?
Newts, of course, spawn later than frogs, and seem to spend longer in the pond in the process. (I think they time their mating to ensure a ready supply of young frog tadpoles for food ;-) )
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