FAQs about frogs and toads: none this year

No frogs is not necessarily anything to worry about (Judy Dowling)

WILDLIFE INFORMATION SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions about... frogs and toads:

I haven't got any frogs / toads this year, what might be wrong?

Depending on the weather, it may still be too early for amphibians to be returning to ponds to breed. Frogs and toads breed in the spring when they migrate to their breeding ponds/ditches/etc. Migration is weather dependent (they prefer mild, wet evenings) and so is determined by location - it tends to occur later in the north and east of the country and earlier in the south. For example, migration will often occur in early January in Cornwall, and in some years can start as early as November. Follow the link to the Nature's Calendar website to view how spawning dates differ around the country.

In some cases, lack of breeding amphibians in your pond could be the result of a population decline locally. This might be an indicator of pond loss: ponds form 'stepping stones' for amphibians across a landscape. If ponds disappear, so can local populations of amphibians.

Similarly, their terrestrial habitats are just as important - amphibians disperse on land, to forage, hibernate and colonise new areas and if these areas or 'corridors' have been blocked (by a new road or even a fence) or destroyed (through development), the route to your garden may have been lost.

Amphibian populations can fluctuate dramatically year on year, so having years with low numbers of amphibians can be a natural phenomenon and nothing to worry about. If no breeding adults appear in your pond, there may be other juvenile amphibians in the area that will turn up next year as breeding adults (frogs take two or three years to reach breeding age).

You may be tempted to introduce some spawn from elsewhere to try and help your local population but we advise against this. By moving spawn you can accidentally introduce diseases and invasive pond plants.

More information:

Nature's Calendar. >>>

Identifying amphibians. >>>

Dragons in your Garden. >>>

I've found dead frogs / toads, what's going on? >>>