Thanks to ARC the pool frog is back in the UK. Help our rarest amphibian thrive once again.

Did you know male northern pool frogs have a loud mating call generated by a pair of white inflatable pouches (vocal sacs) each side of the head; common frogs lack this feature. 

What’s the problem?

The pool frog is the UK’s rarest amphibian, a charismatic species that, because of loss and damage to its fenland and breckland habitats, became extinct in England in the 1990s. Tragically for the pool frog, biologists had believed the species to be a non-native introduction. By the time that research was able to confirm that northern-clade pool frogs were in fact a very rare native species, it was too late to save them. Evidence for the frog’s true identity included finds of pool frog bones dating from mid-Saxon times, records documenting the species’ presence in England prior to any known frog introductions and studies on their genetics and mating calls.

Between 2005 and 2008, ARC worked in partnership to reintroduce pool frogs to England, using stock from Sweden and now pool frogs are back in the wild at two sites in East Anglia.  However these populations are still very small, so the species remains vulnerable to chance events such as disease or poor weather that could once again drive it extinct. ARC wants to grow the populations at the two existing sites, and undertake further reintroductions to suitable sites across their native East Anglia to secure their long-term future.

You can find out more about the pool frog on our species information page.

How your donation will help?

Recently ARC has established a biosecure head-starting unit, where spawn and tadpoles can be reared  in a predator-free environment before being released into the wild. The aim of head-starting is to enable more of the early stages to survive, in order to accelerate the rate at which the wild population can grow.

To increase the resilience of the UK’s northern-clade pool frog population, ARC needs to do further translocations of spawn or head-started tadpoles. We also need to identify and prioritise additional locations for species reintroduction and liaise with government agencies, landowners and other stakeholders to plan and implement future reintroductions to other sites in their historic range. Visit our saving species page to find out more. 

How to sponsor

Simply make a donation via the button below. Donations of any size are welcome!

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