froglets sticking on the paving
 

For the last few mornings we''ve been waking up to the sad sight of
numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond. I
assumed that these were just the ones too dumb to get back to the water
before drying out but yesterday my son noticed one whose feet appeared
to have stuck to the paving. It was struggling to get free and (good lad
that he is) he gently peeled it off and put in the water. We've now
spread out plastic bags on the paving around the slopes where the
froglets are emerging but still found a couple which had strayed further
and stuck.

Is this just natural selection which we should leave be? Do others find
these each year?

--
dave @ stejonda

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In article , dave @ stejonda
writes
For the last few mornings we''ve been waking up to the sad sight of
numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond. I
assumed that these were just the ones too dumb to get back to the water
before drying out but yesterday my son noticed one whose feet appeared
to have stuck to the paving. It was struggling to get free and (good lad
that he is) he gently peeled it off and put in the water. We've now
spread out plastic bags on the paving around the slopes where the
froglets are emerging but still found a couple which had strayed further
and stuck.

Is this just natural selection which we should leave be? Do others find
these each year?

If you want to encourage frogs in your pond, it is sensible to have some
vegetation close to one part of it so frogs can emerge and head straight
into that. If you have paving slabs all the way around for more than a
few inches width, it's inevitable that in how weather some of the
froglets aren't going to make it.

What they're doing atm is trying to get out of the water and into
undergrowth where they can forage - they are entering the terrestrial
phase of their life. So even if they are overheating, they are going to
feel quite a strong urge to go forward rather than back to the water
they are trying to get away from.

If you can't manage permanent vegetation, I wonder whether ir would be
worth a temporary 'bridge' of a few potted plants and something to give
shade?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
For the last few mornings we''ve been waking up to the sad sight of
numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond. I
assumed that these were just the ones too dumb to get back to the water
before drying out but yesterday my son noticed one whose feet appeared
to have stuck to the paving. It was struggling to get free and (good lad
that he is) he gently peeled it off and put in the water. We've now
spread out plastic bags on the paving around the slopes where the
froglets are emerging but still found a couple which had strayed further
and stuck.

Is this just natural selection which we should leave be? Do others find
these each year?

--
dave @ stejonda

We have had this problem - best thing we found was an old towel with one end
dipped in the pond so there was a damp pathway for them to travel.

Last couple of years there have been no crispy froglets which is making us
think that the fish have grown large enough to ingest tadpoles.

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In message , Kay Easton
writes

If you want to encourage frogs in your pond, it is sensible to have some
vegetation close to one part of it so frogs can emerge and head straight
into that.

I don't have paving all the way round. At the rear I have overhanging
slate then on one side there's a gently sloped stone-filled 'stream'
from the filter outlet and on the other side just a gentle slope of
stones. Froglets seem to be emerging on both sides but more on the
simple slope side. There is a big patch of untamed strawberry plants
right by the stream side providing ample cover and foraging material for
them. (I thought it might also keep the strawberries slug-free.) I'll
add some cover on the other side to provide a route into a nearby bed.

If you have paving slabs all the way around for more than a
few inches width, it's inevitable that in how weather some of the
froglets aren't going to make it.

Although most of the casualties appear overnight which suggests it isn't
just the hot weather.

What they're doing atm is trying to get out of the water and into
undergrowth where they can forage - they are entering the terrestrial
phase of their life. So even if they are overheating, they are going to
feel quite a strong urge to go forward rather than back to the water
they are trying to get away from.

Point acknowledged. Thanks Kay.

--
dave @ stejonda

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In article , dave @ stejonda
writes
In message , Kay Easton
writes

If you want to encourage frogs in your pond, it is sensible to have some
vegetation close to one part of it so frogs can emerge and head straight
into that.

I don't have paving all the way round. At the rear I have overhanging
slate then on one side there's a gently sloped stone-filled 'stream'
from the filter outlet and on the other side just a gentle slope of
stones. Froglets seem to be emerging on both sides but more on the
simple slope side. There is a big patch of untamed strawberry plants
right by the stream side providing ample cover and foraging material for
them. (I thought it might also keep the strawberries slug-free.) I'll
add some cover on the other side to provide a route into a nearby bed.

Or see if there is a way to encourage more of them to emerge on the
'safe' side? More pond plant cover that side, perhaps? Ours seem to
emerge primarily up near the waterfall that is the input to the pond -
there's a lot of vegetation there - water forget-me-not, a small pond
sedge and so on.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In message , David W.E. Roberts
writes
We have had this problem - best thing we found was an old towel with
one end dipped in the pond so there was a damp pathway for them to
travel.

....off to find an old towel...

Last couple of years there have been no crispy froglets which is making
us think that the fish have grown large enough to ingest tadpoles.

:)

--
dave @ stejonda

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In message , David W.E.
Roberts
writes
Last couple of years there have been no crispy froglets
.............


OMG 'Crunchy Frog'

Jenny "~)

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In message , David W.E.
Roberts
writes
Last couple of years there have been no crispy froglets
.............


OMG 'Crunchy Frog'

Jenny "~)

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"dave wrote in message ...
For the last few mornings we''ve been waking up to the sad sight of
numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond. I
assumed that these were just the ones too dumb to get back to the water
before drying out but yesterday my son noticed one whose feet appeared
to have stuck to the paving. It was struggling to get free and (good lad
that he is) he gently peeled it off and put in the water. We've now
spread out plastic bags on the paving around the slopes where the
froglets are emerging but still found a couple which had strayed further
and stuck.

Is this just natural selection which we should leave be? Do others find
these each year?


It is so hot and dry at the moment, that is the problem, their little wet
slimy feet are gluing themselves to the super dry concrete. Try giving the
concrete a good spray/soaking every evening which will wet it and cool it
down.
Oh, and don't try unsticking the little things without a thorough wetting
first or you could just pull the skin off their feet.
--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.

froglets sticking on the paving
 

numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond.

You could encourage some algae to grow on the paving and therefore it
wouldn't be such a froglet-magnet? Brush some yoghurt onto the slabs and
wait a few days....

- h

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In message , H
writes
numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond.

You could encourage some algae to grow on the paving and therefore it
wouldn't be such a froglet-magnet? Brush some yoghurt onto the slabs and
wait a few days....

ah, that's a good idea - wonder which flavour they'd like ;-)

and Bob, thanks - I'll be out hosing down the paving at sunset tonight
and making sure the newly installed towels are well damped

--
dave @ stejonda

froglets sticking on the paving
 

JennyC wrote:
"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In message , David W.E.
Roberts writes
Last couple of years there have been no crispy froglets ............


OMG 'Crunchy Frog'

There's another type?

--
William Tasso

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"William Tasso" wrote in news:bclclu$jd112$1@ID-
139074.news.dfncis.de:

OMG 'Crunchy Frog'

There's another type?

There's 'boinging frog' which is a frog that has got inside the central
heating system but miraculously is still alive.

And 'Aaaagh frog', which is a frog that you thought was dead, then shot
straight up and hit you on the nose when you tried to pick it up.

Plus of course the well-known 'soapy frog' which is like an 'Aaagh frog'
but went off at an angle when you thought you had your hands round it.

All subdivisions of crunchy frog, perhaps, but subtly different...

When does a tadpole with legs become a frog with a tail?

Victoria

froglets sticking on the paving
 

The message
from "dave @ stejonda" contains these words:

In message , David W.E. Roberts
writes
We have had this problem - best thing we found was an old towel with
one end dipped in the pond so there was a damp pathway for them to
travel.

...off to find an old towel...

Marital hazard alert..do check the age of the towel with Mme Stejonda
before offering it to frogs :~}

Janet

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"William Tasso" wrote in message
...
JennyC wrote:
"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In message , David W.E.
Roberts writes
Last couple of years there have been no crispy froglets
.............


OMG 'Crunchy Frog'

There's another type?
William Tasso

Read all about it:
http://www.stone-dead.asn.au/tv-seri...unchy-frog.htm
l

Or listen (if you have a fast connection!)
http://chixlinx.homestead.com/MontyPythonFiles.html

Jenny :~))))

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In message , Janet Baraclough
writes

Marital hazard alert..do check the age of the towel with Mme Stejonda
before offering it to frogs :~}

Correcto - 'No tenemos viejas toallas!!!' was the response.

So I used t-towels of which we have many - and it rained here last
night.

--
dave @ stejonda

froglets sticking on the paving
 

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 00:10:29 +0100, Victoria Clare
wrote:

When does a tadpole with legs become a frog with a tail?

I've always considered that there's an intermediate stage of frogpole to
cover the stage when they have both legs and a tail.

--
Cheers, Serena

Sometimes I sits and thinks ... and sometimes I just sits. (Punch cartoon)

froglets sticking on the paving
 

In article 2,
Victoria Clare writes

There's 'boinging frog' which is a frog that has got inside the central
heating system but miraculously is still alive.

And 'Aaaagh frog', which is a frog that you thought was dead, then shot
straight up and hit you on the nose when you tried to pick it up.

Plus of course the well-known 'soapy frog' which is like an 'Aaagh frog'
but went off at an angle when you thought you had your hands round it.

There's also frog bouncing ...

http://www.cherryjam.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cats/frog.htm
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

froglets sticking on the paving
 

The message
from Serena Blanchflower contains
these words:

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 00:10:29 +0100, Victoria Clare
wrote:

When does a tadpole with legs become a frog with a tail?

I've always considered that there's an intermediate stage of frogpole to
cover the stage when they have both legs and a tail.

Ah, tadpogs...

As a child, I used to consider mine had become frogs when their bodies
stopped being round blobs and got that squared off, angular shape..even
if they still have a bit of tail.

Janet.

froglets sticking on the paving
 

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 16:21:42 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Serena Blanchflower contains
these words:

On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 00:10:29 +0100, Victoria Clare
wrote:

When does a tadpole with legs become a frog with a tail?

I've always considered that there's an intermediate stage of frogpole to
cover the stage when they have both legs and a tail.

Ah, tadpogs...

As a child, I used to consider mine had become frogs when their bodies
stopped being round blobs and got that squared off, angular shape..even
if they still have a bit of tail.

and when they turned into handsome princes when you kissed them?
--
martin

froglets sticking on the paving
 

On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 17:25:17 +0100, "dave @ stejonda"
wrote:

In message , H
writes
numerous desiccated froglets on the paving around our (1st year) pond.

You could encourage some algae to grow on the paving and therefore it
wouldn't be such a froglet-magnet? Brush some yoghurt onto the slabs and
wait a few days....

ah, that's a good idea - wonder which flavour they'd like ;-)

and Bob, thanks - I'll be out hosing down the paving at sunset tonight
and making sure the newly installed towels are well damped

Good luck - but should we have little froglets by now? Ours are still
tadpoles (some of them pretty big, but still definitely tadpole
stage).


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Remove the LIZARD to email reply

froglets sticking on the paving
 

OnTue, 17 Jun 2003 22:25:44 GMT, (Sally
Thompson) perspired gently and wrote:

snipped.
Good luck - but should we have little froglets by now? Ours are still
tadpoles (some of them pretty big, but still definitely tadpole
stage).


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Remove the LIZARD to email reply

Here in N. Yorkshire we have spotted a couple of tadpoles in our pond
with newly formed legs .............. obviously not a record ;-)

There are four adults in the pond and loads of tadpoles. Can't imagine
what it will be like even if only half of them survive! Anyone know
what the survival rate is?

- - - -
Mike Peters




Drop the DROPME to reply by Email

froglets sticking on the paving
 

Mike wrote:
OnTue, 17 Jun 2003 22:25:44 GMT,
(Sally
Thompson) perspired gently and wrote:

snipped.
Good luck - but should we have little froglets by now? Ours are
still tadpoles (some of them pretty big, but still definitely
tadpole stage).


--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
Remove the LIZARD to email reply

Here in N. Yorkshire we have spotted a couple of tadpoles in our
pond
with newly formed legs .............. obviously not a record ;-)

There are four adults in the pond and loads of tadpoles. Can't
imagine
what it will be like even if only half of them survive! Anyone know
what the survival rate is?


Survival rate to maturity is very low - maybe 1%, but that's a
blessing, otherwise we would be chin deep in frogs.

--
ned

froglets sticking on the paving
 

Survival rate to maturity is very low - maybe 1%, but that's a
blessing, otherwise we would be chin deep in frogs.

--
ned
The water boatmen in my pond have been depleting the tadpoles too. I saw 3
water boatmen simultaneously attack and drag down a little froglet that had
just jumped back into the water after being disturbed

froglets sticking on the paving
 

"Pickle" wrote in message
...

Survival rate to maturity is very low - maybe 1%, but that's a
blessing, otherwise we would be chin deep in frogs.


The water boatmen in my pond have been depleting the tadpoles too. I saw
3
water boatmen simultaneously attack and drag down a little froglet that
had
just jumped back into the water after being disturbed



When my son went to Primary school, I used to lend them frog spawn so they
could watch it turn into tadpoles and develop legs.

When they were returned, at the end of term, I put them back in the pond.

I was horrified to see Dragonfly larvae shoot out what like arms with boxing
gloves on, and rip these tadpoles to pieces.

It must be a very small percentage reach maturity. After about 15 years we
had about 15 pairs + some hopeful young males.

They are starting to build up numbers after a heron visited the pond, a few
years ago. We now have about 10 pairs.

--
Regards,
Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.