NATIONAL FROG SURVEY OF IRELAND 2010

Welcome to the National Frog Survey of Ireland web page! Here, you can find out more about the survey and submit your own sightings of Irish frogs!

The common frog (Rana temporaria) is Ireland’s most abundant and widespread amphibian but there are concerns about its current status and possible recent population declines. It is protected under the Irish Wildlife Acts of 1976 and 2000, and is listed on Annex V of the EU Habitats Directive. Ireland is required to report regularly to the European Commission on the species’ conservation status.

The National Frog Survey is being carried out to gather up-to-date information on the distribution and abundance of the frog in Ireland. The survey will also examine habitat usage and investigate wetland loss. The survey methods were broadly based on that used in Great Britain by the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC) under the National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme (NARRS www.narrs.org.uk). A pilot study was carried out in County Mayo in Spring 2010 to assess the methodology.

Formal surveys are being conducted during spring 2011 by staff from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, but you can also help conserve Ireland’s frogs by submitting your frog observations on our "Report a Frog" page!

Adult common frog	Young common frog on log
Pair of common frogs in amplexus	Common frog spawn
Common frog tadples - very young so external gills are still visible.		As the tadpoles grow they lose the feathery external gills. By the summer they have increased enormously in size and their back legs start to develop. These are followed by the front legs and then they start to absorb their tail. Finally, when the tail is little more than a stub, they emerge from the water and then spend much of their time on land hunting for small invertebrates to boost their growth. You can learn more about the common frog at http://www.arc-trust.org/animals/common_frog.php.

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