GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - I'm a step-froggie-daddy again

Phil Cook · 18-03-2012, 08:50 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 18/03/2012 14:12, Janet wrote:
In ,
lid says...

Yesterday there were 11 distinct clumps of frog spawn in the pond and
I could see a fair few of the little luvvies inside wriggling a bit so
was expecting them to hatch over the coming week or so.

By this morning, though, the whole lot had hatched in one go and
they've somehow merged into two masses. The empty eggs have formed
themselves into two circles of gooey stuff around the two lots of
wrigglers. I can't see even a single unhatched one though there may be
some underneath the masses.

I've never known everything to happen all at once like this. Usually I
just leave them to their own devices but I'm now wondering if the pond
will sustain them all - I gave it a real clear out last year so
there's not that much for them to feed on.

Their first food is the jelly they hatched from. You'll notice them
hanging on it and they will eat the lot.

Then after a while they become cannibals. There may not be much for them
to feed on but only a few need to survive. Just leave them alone and the
froggy population balance will be maintained.
--
Phil Cook