Amphibians in your garden:your questions answered

www.naturalengland.org.uk

Why are garden ponds important for

amphibians?

Amphibians in your garden

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Have I got frogs or toads? How to tell the difference:

• Common frogs have smooth skins; common toads have a granular orwarty appearance.

• Frogs have longer legs than toads – they leap rather than hop, as toadstend to do.

• Toads are usually a mottled mid-brown; frogs are much more variable in their colour and markings.

• Frogs make a quiet, low-pitched call during the breeding season; toads make a louder, higher croak.

• Frogspawn is laid in clumps; toads lay their eggs in long, gelatinous ‘strings’.

• A few weeks after hatching, frog tadpoles are mottled brownish-grey to olive with gold speckles; toad tadpoles remain jet black.

Which amphibians live in my pond? Common toads often choose damp hiding places in gardens. Laurie Campbell/NHPA

Toads, frogs and newts arefascinating creatures, andstudying them can give youhours of pleasure. However,they are also very useful, asthey eat many gardencreatures that we regard aspests, such as slugs.

A healthy population ofamphibians in your gardenwill help you control thesepest species without the useof chemicals.

Why should I encourage amphibians to

live in my garden?

Male common frog – note the bluish-white throat. Jim Foster/Natural England

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Many more people are digging a pondto create a feature for their garden. Aswell as being a great way to make yourgarden more attractive, a pond canalso play an important role inconservation. Many of our wetlandshave been drained for farming ordevelopment with the consequentloss of thousands of natural pools andponds. Garden ponds alone can’tcompensate for this but they can bevery useful to wetland wildlife species– frogs, in particular. They are also a

wonderful educational resource.Given their handy location – justoutside the back door – garden pondsare an ideal introduction to wildlifefor children. More good news is that,once constructed, garden wildlifeponds require little maintenance.

The advice in this leaflet will help youmaximize the value of your pond foramphibians (frogs, toads and newts).In turn, this will help other wildlifethat lives in, or visits, your garden.

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Albino frogs arise when a genetic mutationmeans they cannot produce dark pigments. Jim Foster/Natural England

Frogs often lay their spawn close together in the shallows. Here, a single clump of albino spawn isobvious. Jim Foster/Natural England

Some amphibians, like this North Americanbullfrog, have been introduced from abroadand may pose threats to native wildlife. Jim Foster/Natural England

Reddish common frogs, like this female, are not unusual. Jim Foster/Natural England

I’ve seen an orange frog – whatspecies is it? Probably a common frog. They arevariable in their coloration and somecan be reddish, orange or even yellow.More unusual are common frogs withpigment abnormalities. These can bewhite, yellow, pink or orange, with pinkor sometimes black eyes. These albino,partial albino or ‘leucistic’ frogs (thosewith reduced pigmentation) lack darkmarkings because of a geneticmutation. These mutations arisenaturally by chance – the samehappens with many animal species,including humans. There is no need tobe worried if you find one.

This male albino frog has paired with a typically-coloured female. Jim Foster/Natural England

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Creating ponds and managing your garden

Ornamental ponds with steep sides and nosurrounding vegetation present limitedopportunities for amphibians. Joan Hutchings/FLPA

Female smooth newts (shown here) andpalmate newts both have sandy browncoloration and are hard to tell apart. Jim Foster/Natural England

Which type of newts do I have in my pond? They are most likely to be smoothnewts but, depending on where youlive and what type of pond you have,you could also see palmate or greatcrested newts. Palmate newts are morecommon in the west and north ofBritain, particularly on poor, acid soils.

Great crestednewts preferlarger ponds thanother species andare rarely foundin garden ponds.Note: when onland, newts’colours becomeduller and theircrests shrink,which can makeidentificationmore difficult.

All photographs onthis page areapproximately two-thirds life size.

Male palmate newts have a thin ‘thread’ at thetail tip, a tiny crest, webbed hind feet andintricate coloration. Jim Foster/Natural England

Male smooth newts can reach around 10 cm,and have a distinctive wavy crest and fringedhind feet. Jim Foster/Natural England

Male great crested newt – note the spiky crest and white tail stripe.Jim Foster/Natural England

Female great crested newts grow to 16 cm and are usually dark brown,with an orange stripe on the bottom of the tail. Jim Foster/Natural England

Great crested newts live in mypond, but I’ve heard they areprotected. What does this mean? Great crested newt populations havedecreased severely in recent yearsand they are strictly protected bylaw. In practice, most gardenersshould not be overly concerned bythe danger of prosecution as normalgardening activities present no majordangers for newts. However, it is an

offence to fill in a pond used bygreat crested newts, or to damagethe places these newts use forshelter. Also, fish should not bestocked in a pond used by greatcrested newts. Natural England canprovide further advice, and there aremore detailed guides available tohelp you enhance your garden forthis declining species (see Furtherinformation, page 26).

What makes a good amphibian pond? Frogs are the least choosy of ouramphibians, and will breed inalmost any type and size of gardenpond. With a bit of care, however,you can create a pond that willsupport decent populations of atleast two amphibian species, andmaybe more, depending on whereyou live. Ponds should be sited in asunny location, away fromoverhanging trees. If you have thespace, dig a pond that is at least 2 x3 m in surface area; the larger it is,the wider the variety of habitats itwill contain. Make sure there aresome shallow margins (up to 20 cmdeep), together with a section that isat least 60 cm deep. The shallowareas are particularly important forfrog spawning. For toads, you mayneed to build a much bigger anddeeper pond. For detailed advice onbuilding ponds, consult the

Natural England publication Gardenponds and boggy areas (seeContacts, page 26). For otherdetailed references on how toconstruct ponds see Furtherinformation, page 26.

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Amphibians prefer ponds with a varied depth profile, a good mix of aquatic plants, long grassaround the edge, and a sunny location. Chris Mattison/FLPA

Tadpoles rasp algae from the pond edge orfrom plant leaves using special mouthparts. Jim Foster/Natural England

Like other invasive exotic plants, Australian swamp stonecrop Crassula helmsii can smother pondwildlife. Roger Wilmhurst/FLPA

help on pond plants refer topublications listed in Furtherinformation, page 26.In general, you should aim for anassortment of marginal plants,floating leaved plants andsubmerged species. Only use nativespecies that are suited to your area.

How do I maintain my pond? It is a good idea to remove up to athird of your water plants, plantdebris and silt every few years, butthe frequency will depend on theexact conditions in your pond andyour personal preference. Clearing

away water plants allows sunlight topenetrate the water; this warms thepond and helps spawn and tadpolesdevelop. Some vigorous plants mayneed to be thinned out every year. Itis best to do this work in lateautumn. If your pond starts to dry upin hot weather you can top it up witha hose with no ill-effects, but it isbetter to use fresh rainwater. If thereis a garden shed or greenhousenearby, you can fit it with gutteringand feed the run-off into the pond. Ifyour pond is affected by shadingshrubs or trees, these may have to bepruned back.

Does it matter if the pond isartificially lined? No. Amphibians do very well in linedponds. Flexible liners (such as butyl)are ideal for wildlife ponds. Theyvary in price, with the moreexpensive types generally beingmore flexible and having greaterresistance to sunlight and to

root and animal damage. You willalso need an underlay to protectthe liner.

What about pond plants? The best wildlife ponds have a goodmix of aquatic plants. Frogs andtoads will take cover in vegetationand their tadpoles will feed ondecomposing plant matter. Newtsneed plants with flexible leaves foregg laying. Good choices arecommon water starwort Callitrichestagnalis, watercress Rorippanasturtium-aquaticum and watermint Mentha aquatica. For detailed

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Do I need to feed tadpoles? No. They will find enough food fromthe algae and decomposing materialin your pond. If it is a very new pondyou may wish to add some rabbitfood pellets for them to feed on (itcan be interesting to watch) but it isnot absolutely necessary.

Should I introduce fish? Toads do not seem to be directlyaffected by fish. But don’t stock fish if you want to encourage frogs andnewts. Fish eat eggs and tadpoles,and their waste adds nutrients thatcan cause pond water to becomecloudy with algae. Garden ponds arenormally too small to replicatenatural fish habitats, so adding fishmay upset the natural balance in yourpond’s ecosystem. Although fish areunlikely to destroy entire amphibian

populations (with the exception ofthe great crested newt, which seemsespecially vulnerable) a wildlife pondwill always do better without them.For fish lovers, one option is to builda separate pond specifically for fish.

I’m worried about mowing mylawn because of the frogs. Whatshould I do? This may be a problem in earlysummer when young frogs leaveponds, often in huge numbers. Thebest plan is to allocate certain partsof your lawn as ‘wild’ areas, and mowthem infrequently, at a time whenfrogs are less active. Regularly mowany areas you want to keep as lawnto discourage frogs from hiding inpatches of long grass. Mowing in hot,dry weather will also minimise thechances of finding amphibians.

Walking over a lawn or raking itbefore mowing may encourage frogsto hop out of the way.

How do I make my pond saferfor children? A sturdy fence around your pondwill prevent children from havingdirect access, and these are fairlysimple to build. A post and rail fencebacked with chicken wire issometimes used. Garden centres alsostock grates to go over ponds.Whatever you decide, there is noreplacement for the closesupervision of children near water. If you are concerned about thesafety of your children in the garden,please consider securing your pondin some way (as described above)

rather than filling it in. Retaining itfor the children’s educational benefitlater in life will be very worthwhile.

I need to fill in my pond. Where shallI take the frogs/toads/newts?The most practical course of action isto fill in the pond in autumn, when allor most of the animals will be on land.If you need to fill it in during thespring or summer, slowly drain thepond and catch any amphibians thatdo not escape on their own. They canbe taken to another nearby gardenpond – with the owner’s agreement –although the adults could be left innearby overgrown areas.Unfortunately, these animals mayreturn to your garden next spring,expecting to find a pond there!

Two ‘strings’ of toadspawn laid on top of a clump of frogspawn. Jim Foster/Natural England

You may find the shed skin of a frog if you inspect your pond closely. Jim Foster/Natural England

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or there may be some barriers (busyroads, buildings, rivers, etc) that make it difficult for them to reachyour pond.

Alternatively, there may not be anyamphibians in your area, perhapsbecause the land surrounding your house does not have any suitablehabitats. If this is the case – and you’resure that you have provided the rightconditions for amphibians – thenintroducing some can be agood idea (but see next page). This isbest done by collecting a fewclumps or strings of spawn (for frogsor toads), or vegetation that hassome newt eggs attached to it (forsmooth and palmate newts) andplacing it in your pond. This shouldbe done for two or three seasons.

You do not need to leave food out forthem, but anything that encouragesinsects and other minibeasts will help.Avoid using garden netting close tothe ground, as frogs and grass snakesget caught up in it.

Should I introduce amphibians to my garden? Normally you won’t need to, as theyare very good at colonising naturally.Try to provide the best garden pondand surrounding habitat that you can,and then sit back and wait for theamphibians to turn up. In this wayyou can be sure that the conditionsyou have created are suitable.However, sometimes amphibians willnot colonise a garden. This may be fora number of reasons. The habitats youhave provided may not be quite right

Sometimes, amphibians will evenreturn to a filled-in pond and lay theireggs where it used to be, though thiswill happen less and less as they findnew ponds. Please note that thedestruction of great crested newtponds is an offence without a licence.

What are the limitations of gardenponds? Although garden ponds providehavens for frogs and some otherwetland wildlife, they can neverreplace the number and variety ofcountryside ponds that have beenlost. Problems with garden pondsinclude the danger of pollution fromchemicals such as weed-killers andfertilisers, the lack of semi-naturalhabitats near ponds, the short lifespanof some ponds and the presence ofexotic species and diseases. Someplant and animal species simply willnot survive in garden ponds. However,please don’t let this put you off! Anywell-planned pond will help wildlife,and give you years of enjoyment.

What should I do with ‘excess’spawn or frogs? During spring, people may becomeconcerned when they see their pondfilling up with frogspawn, thinkingthat it is too much for the pond tocope with, or that they will be‘overrun’ with frogs. In fact, mostspawn and tadpoles die, so only a

Too many or too few?

tiny fraction of the eggs you see willsurvive to become adult frogs. Takingspawn away will not have anysignificant effect on overall frognumbers, so it is best to leave it alone.

I don’t have a pond and yet there aremany frogs in my garden. How dothey get there?Amphibians will travel severalhundred metres from ponds, and it is not unusual to find them ingardens that lack a pond, especiallyin summer.

How do I attract amphibians to mygarden? The best thing to do is build a pond,but keeping parts of your garden alittle ‘wild’ and unkempt is also useful.Frogs, toads and newts all like to takeshelter beneath piles of rocks andlogs, so creating these features willhelp. Amphibians will also appreciaterockeries, compost heaps, loose patioslabs, gaps under sheds, open treeroots, hedge bases and flower beds.

A female frog is grasped by two males. Suchfrenzied mating activity sometimes killsfemales. Jim Foster/Natural England

Creating a pond will attract all sorts of colourful wildlife like this emperor dragonfly. Martin Garwood/NHPA

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Predators, diseases, disappearances and

related concerns

being produced over several years,eventually leading to a major decline inadult numbers. Occasionally thishappens and there is no obviousexplanation, though chemicals,disease, and intense predation arepossibilities.

Why don’t my tadpoles develop? It is quite common for some tadpolesto develop much more slowly thanothers in the same pond. In smallponds with many tadpoles slowdevelopment can be the result ofcompetition, or it can happen whenthe pond water is cool (because ofshading, for instance). Alternatively, if your pond is new, it may notcontain enough food, as algae willnot have had a chance to grow.Sometimes tadpoles will not developinto adults within the year, butcontinue to grow over winter andthen emerge the following year. It isalso usual for some tadpoles todevelop normally and leave the pond without you noticing, leavingbehind the slow developers.

Why does my frogspawn die, sink orchange colour? Frogs’ eggs can be killed by fungi,predators or frost (though this willoften harm only the top few layers ofeggs). Newts will feed on eggs, as willsome invertebrates, such as flatworms.Spawn sometimes sinks to the bottomof the pond but this is nothing to worryabout. Some eggs may not have beenfertilised and these will die shortly after

having been laid. The outer jelly offrogspawn sometimes takes on a greenor grey tinge due to algal growth orsediments in the pond. All these eventsare fairly normal in garden ponds and,so long as some tadpoles survive,there’s normally nothing to worryabout. Even if all the spawn in a givenyear dies, frog populations should stillhold up. Of more concern is a totalfailure of spawn with no tadpoles

Frog tadpoles are important prey for a range ofpredators, including newts, birds and manyinvertebrates. R Krekels/Foto Natura Stock/FLPA

Please note that the eggs of greatcrested newts are protected by law andshould never be disturbed.

I want to distribute my frogs, toads ornewts for conservation purposes. Where shall I take them? Although it can seem appealing to shareout your amphibians, in practice thisrarely helps with their conservation. It isbest to leave them alone, try to enhancetheir environment and encourage othersto follow your example. The main reasonamphibians have declined is because ofdamage to their natural habitats. Tryingto re-introduce animals to a damagedhabitat does not really help as they willfind it hard to survive. One exceptionwould be to introduce fresh animalsto small isolated populations that arebecoming inbred. Amphibianconservation groups will be able toadvise you (see Contacts, page 26).

You should never take adults or eggsfrom wild ponds. You can take spawnor eggs from another garden, but onlyif it is close to your pond and you havethe owner’s permission. Ideally the‘donor’ pond will be in a neighbouringgarden. You should not transportspawn or eggs for distances over 2 km,to avoid spreading diseases orinterfering with the normal geneticexchanges that occur betweenpopulations. Avoid taking spawn fromponds where there is evidence ofamphibian or fish disease. Be verycareful also not to transport anyunwanted exotic plant species. Someof these species can grow from tinyfragments of leaf or stem and becomea real problem in a garden pond, soyou need to check carefully. You alsoneed to dispose of any unwantedplant material with equal care, ideallyby incinerating it.

Frozen ponds are one of nature’s hazards forfrogs. Jim Foster/Natural England

I’ve heard that there is a diseaseaffecting frogs. How can I tell? Over the last decade or so there havebeen reports of unusual massmortalities of frogs, mainly in south-east England. This has now beenattributed to a virus, likely to have beenintroduced from overseas. It causesfrogs to die in large numbers, typicallyfrom June to September, in and aroundthe breeding pond. Symptoms includeemaciation, ulceration andhaemorrhaging. However, the diseaseis complex and sometimes there are noexternal signs. There is no cure for thedisease, but Froglife can providefurther advice (see Contacts, page 26).More recently a fungal disease hasbeen found, but it is unclear whetherthis is a serious threat to amphibians inEngland. Bear in mind that dead frogsmay have perished for reasons otherthan disease (see next page).

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Where do all my frogs disappear toafter spawning? Spring is the time when frogs andtoads are most obvious, andafterwards they do a disappearing actwhich often takes us by surprise. Theytend to leave the pond and seek outdamp, shelteredareas in gardensor further afield –sometimestravellinghundreds ofmetres. You maysee frogs insmaller numbersin and aroundthe pond insummer,especially when itrains heavily orwhen you turn onthe hose.

Disease sometimes causes discolorationto a frog’s body due to haemorrhagingand ulceration. Jim Foster/Natural England

Some invertebrate predators can tackle surprisingly large prey. Here, awater beetle larva overcomes a smooth newt. J. Whitehurst/CheshireEcological Services Ltd

How else do frogs die?Adult frogs are eaten by predatorssuch as grass snakes, herons, owls,crows, foxes, hedgehogs and cats. Astadpoles, they will be eaten by birds,newts, fish, beetles and dragonflynymphs. The eggs will also be eaten bysome predators. Some frogs die duringhibernation on land or in water (seenext page) and, during the breedingseason, some females will perish inthe frenzy of mating after beingclasped by males for long periods. Allthese are natural causes of death and,although they can appear distressing,it is best to let nature take its course.

I’m sure that grass snakes are amenace to my frogs. How do I getrid of them? It’s best not to. Although it can begruesome to see a grass snakedevouring a frog, this is a perfectlynatural occurrence. Some people areunderstandably concerned that thispredation will wipe out their frogsbut grass snakes actually take verysmall numbers and do not endangertheir populations. In fact, grasssnakes are more threatened thanfrogs (and protected by law) soseeing one in your garden isgreat news.

The distinctive yellow ‘collar’ identifies this as a grass snake, a reptile with a taste for amphibians.Jim Foster/Natural England

I sometimes find dead frogs in thepond in winter. What can I do? In some ponds, a proportion of thefrogs spend winter underwater. If thewater freezes over for more than afew days, oxygen levels will fall andtrapped waste gases will accumulate;both can prove fatal. Often, peoplefind dead, bloated frogs floating onthe surface of their pond after a thaw– not a pleasant sight! However, thesefew deaths will not affect the healthof the total population as many morefrogs will overwinter on land where itmay be safer. Normally it is just a fewmales that stay in the pond in winterin order to be first on the scene forthe spring mating. If you are worriedabout your pond’s frogs in winter, try

How can I stop baby frogs dying inthe pond in summer? Froglets drown in some ponds becausethey cannot easily get out of the water –typically when the pond has steep sidesor overhanging slabs. Provide easy exitpoints by creating ramps that frogs canclimb up or, better still, ensure that thesides of the pond slope gently, withplenty of marginal plants for cover.Make sure, also, that in sunny weatheramphibians don’t have to cross largeareas of hot, dry stonework.

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Are cats a problem for amphibians? Cats don’t often kill frogs, but they do ‘play’ with them and, ratherunhelpfully, bring them indoors. Cats will also injure and kill slow-worms, grass snakes, birds andsmall mammals so they are nothelpful to any of the wildlife inyour garden!

Male frogs develop rough-skinned nuptialpads on their ‘thumbs’ to help them grasp theslippery females during mating. Jim Foster/Natural England

Toads, like other garden amphibians, spendmost of their lives on land, so it is important toprovide good cover around your pond. M BWithers/FLPA

After around ten weeks, this tadpole is almost ready to leave the water, but some take much longer.R Krekels/Foto Natura/FLPA

to keep a hole in the ice by sinkingbuckets of hot water through the ice,or floating a ball on the surface.

Are newts a problem for frogs? Not really, but in some ponds newtsthrive particularly well and they mayeat so many frogs’ eggs and tadpolesthat the frog population is considerablyreduced. No one is sure what makessome ponds more suitable for newtsthan for frogs but, as long as there is arange of pond types in the area, bothspecies should do well. Removingnewts to try to redress the balance isnot recommended and rarely works.

How can I stop frogs attackingmy goldfish? Male frogs or toads sometimes attachthemselves to fish in the spring,mistaking them for females of theirown species. This rarely harms the fish,and the frog usually notices its mistakeand soon hops off. You can carefullyprise the frog off if you are especiallyconcerned. Bear in mind that this

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behaviour is only ever going tohappen for a few days in early spring.

How can I stop tadpoles eating mygoldfish? Tadpoles feed only on the mucuscovering fish scales, or on the deadflesh of a fish affected by ulcers orfungi. No harm is done to the fish andgoldfish actually benefit from frogs asthey feed on frogspawn and tadpoles.

I’ve heard that toads are poisonous.Should I be concerned aboutchildren or pets? Common toads and great crestednewts both have special chemicals intheir skins to dissuade potentialpredators. Dogs will normally reactquickly by spitting out the toad ornewt and no serious consequenceshave been reported. In the course ofnormal handling it is extremelyunlikely that people would beaffected by these chemicals.

Each egg is laid onto a plant leafunderwater. The leaf may be alive ordead and is folded around the egg toprotect it. You may notice the foldedleaves if you look carefully at thepond edge in late spring.

What happens to spawn once it hashatched? After frog eggs hatch out into tinytadpoles they remain very still andstay close to the spawn jelly for awhile. At this stage they are so stillthey can appear to be dead, but theysoon become more active when theystart to lose their external gills. Theback legs of the tadpoles emergeafter a few weeks, followed by thefront legs. The tail reduces in size andthe body and head shape changes (inparticular, the mouth becomes muchwider). Frog tadpoles tend to become

How do amphibians find ponds? No one knows for sure, but there issome evidence that amphibians usesmell to find ponds, as well as findingthem from memory. Manyamphibians will come across pondsby chance as they disperse from theirbreeding pond. In spring, femalefrogs and toads are also attracted tothe calls of males who have alreadyfound a pond.

How do newts breed? Newts have an interesting courtship‘dance’ in which the male displays tothe female and releases specialchemicals to attract her. He thendeposits a sperm packet on thebottom of the pond, and the femaletakes this in to fertilise the eggs. Shewill then lay the eggs individually, afew each day, for several months.

Paired frogs often wait a week or so beforespawning, perhaps waiting for the rightweather conditions. Jim Foster/Natural England

Froglets and toadlets feed on tiny insects like aphids, and seek out moist refuges to escapepredators. Stephen Dalton/NHPA

Amphibian

behaviourDo frogs, toads and newts alwaysreturn to the same pond? The pond an amphibian chooses tobreed in will often be the one theadult hatched out in. However, someindividuals will wander from theiroriginal breeding area to find newlycreated ponds. Frogs seem to be thebest at colonising new ponds.

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This water mint has leaves folded over wherenewts have laid their eggs. Jim Foster/Natural England

more secretive and bottom-dwellingin the later stages of development.Eventually – usually in June or July –they emerge from ponds and comeonto land as froglets. Toads follow a

very similar pattern, emerging a littlelater. Newts differ in that they retainexternal gills all through their aquaticlarval stage (that is, the periodbetween egg and land-livingjuvenile). They also get their front legsfirst, and feed only on live prey,whereas frog and toad tadpoles feedmainly on algae and detritus. Youngnewts emerge later in the year, fromJuly through to October.

I think I heard a frog scream. Can this be true? Yes. When attacked by predators, frogsand toads can let out a surprisinglyloud, high-pitched distress call. Thishappens most often in gardens whencats corner them.

What do adult amphibians eat? Frogs, toads and newts are not veryfussy, eating most kinds of smallinvertebrate. Slugs, snails, flies, beetles,ants, woodlice, moths, worms and bugsare all eaten, though the proportionsvary according to the habitat.

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Great crested newt eggs revealed by unfolding submerged grasses. Jim Foster/Natural England

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long-lived than smooth and palmatenewts, often reaching six and,exceptionally, up to 15 years. Smoothand palmate newts rarely live beyondaround five years.

My child wants to study somefrogspawn/tadpoles indoors. How should I go about this? Often it is best to watch animals intheir natural environment, but thereare real educational benefits to behad from a close-up view ofdeveloping tadpoles. It is not possible

Amphibians fall prey to herons, but suchpredation is natural. You can help the frogs byproviding more cover around the garden.Melvin Grey/NHPA

to give a complete guide here, butthere are a few key points to be awareof: only keep a small number oftadpoles (around 30 for a typicalaquarium); rabbit food pellets makegood rations; change the waterfrequently; provide bark or mossyrocks to allow froglets to emerge;always release them back at the edgeof the pond they came from. Formore details, see some of the titleslisted under Further information,page 26. Rearing newts is much moredifficult and is not advised.

Adult toads, frogs and newts are strictly carnivorous. They use smell and movement detection tofind prey. Daniel Heuclin/NHPA

Newt larvae (here a great crested newt) have feathery gills just behind the head. Jim Foster/Natural England

How long do frogs, toads and newts live? Most frogs will die very early in life, at the egg or tadpole stage. But for the lucky ones that avoid waterpredators, early frosts and disease,survival is still risky because they must face a range of new predatorswhen they leave the pond (see page17). Survival prospects are better when they reach maturity at two orthree years, and some frogs may evenlive to seven years. Toads fare better –probably because the chemicals intheir skin put off many predators –and a few toads will eventually reachthe early teens. However, the numberof animals reaching these grand oldages is tiny – perhaps less than oneper cent of the eggs laid. Newts alsohave a risky larval period, with anincreased survival rate once on land.Great crested newts seem to be more

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Planting-up ponds.Pond Conservation. 2001.

P. Roberts, & D. Ovenden. Guide to the reptiles and amphibiansof Britain and Ireland.Field Studies Council. 1999.

Garden ponds as amphibian sanctuaries.The British Herpetological Society.

R. Orton, A. Bebbington & J. Bebbington.Guide to commoner water plants.Field Studies Council. 2000.

P. Wisniewski. Newts of the British Isles.Shire Publications. 1989.

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Natural England1 East Parade Sheffield, S1 2ETEnquiry Service: 0845 600 3078enquiries@naturalengland.org.ukwww.naturalengland.org.uk

Froglife9 Swan CourtCygnet Park, Peterborough, PE7 8GXTel: 01733 558960www.froglife.org

ARG-UK(the Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK)

www.arg-uk.org.uk

The British Herpetological Society11 Stathmore PlaceMontrose, Angus, DD10 8LQwww.thebhs.org

The Herpetological Conservation Trust655A Christchurch RoadBoscombeBournemouth, Dorset, BH1 4AP. Tel: 01202 391319www.herpconstrust.org.uk

Pond ConservationSchool of Life SciencesOxford Brookes UniversityGipsy Lane, HeadingtonOxford, OX3 0BPTel 01865 483249www.pondstrust.org.uk

Other titles

Foxes, badgers, hedgehogs and many birds willuse garden ponds for drinking or bathing. Laurie Campbell/NHPA

Contacts Further informationThis is one of a range of wildlifegardening booklets published byNatural England. For more details,contact the Natural England EnquiryService on 0845 600 3078 or e-mailenquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

Natural England also produces Gardeningwith wildlife in mind, an illustratedwildlife reference. Originally on CD butnow also available on-line, Gardeningwith wildlife in mind has detailedinformation on 800 plants and animalspecies often found in our gardens, andshows how they are ecologically linked.See www.plantpress.com

R. Griffiths. How to begin the study of amphibians.The Richmond Publishing Company. 1987.

R. Oxford & A. Sutton.A guide to keeping common

frog tadpoles. Field Studies Council. 2002.

Problem pond plants: managing algae,duckweed and other floating plants.Pond Conservation. 2001.

Amphibian health and disease.Froglife. 2006.

F. Slater. The common toad.Shire Publications. 1992.

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Natural England works for people, places and natureto conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes andwildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas.We conserve and enhance the natural environment forits intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment ofpeople, and the economic prosperity it brings.

www.naturalengland.org.uk

© Natural England 2007

ISBN 978-1-84754-007-2

Catalogue code NE18

Written by Jim Foster. Designed by statusdesign.co.uk

Front cover image: Common frog hiding amongst pond plants. Laurie Campbell/NHPA