Reptiles & Amphibians Frogs, Toads & Spawn Common frog Rana temporaria Where to find them Possibly our most recognisable amphibian, the common frog is distributed throughout Britain and Ireland, and can be found in almost any habitat where suitable breeding ponds are nearby. Garden ponds are extremely important for common frogs and many populations in suburban areas depend on them. Common frogs have smooth moist skin. Frogs are often found close to fresh water in habitats that remain damp throughout the summer. Outside of the breeding season they can roam up to 500 metres from a breeding pond. Identification Adults can grow to 9cm (nose to tail). They are generally a shade of olive-green or brown, with a dark patch (or 'mask') behind the eyes. Frogs often have bands of darker striping on the back legs. Many individuals have irregular dark markings on the back. Colouration is extremely variable: yellow, pink, red, orange and black individuals are often reported to our Wildlife Information Service. Lifecycle Spawning takes place during early spring, starting in the south of Britain as early as January. Tadpoles generally take up to sixteen weeks to grow back legs, then front legs before they metamorphose into tiny froglets, ready to leave the water in early summer (often June, but in some ponds this may be as late as September). 'Mature' tadpoles are faintly speckled with a gold/brown colouration which distinguishes them from the black tadpoles of the common toad. Common frogs feed on a variety of invertebrate prey, slugs and snails particularly. This makes them very beneficial to gardeners. Protection In Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the common frog (and its spawn) is protected by law from trade and sale. Photo gallery Powered by Cincopa HTML Slideshow for Business solution.Common frog (Rana temporaria)© Chris Dreshflash 13cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 408orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 2/29/2012 6:20:01 AMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D90© Chris Dreshflash 13cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 408orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 2/29/2012 6:55:06 AMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D90© Chris Dreshcameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 515orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 2/25/2012 7:55:31 PMwidth 617cameramodel NIKON D90© Chris Dreshcameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 461orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 2/25/2012 7:49:48 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D90© Chris Dreshcameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 408orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 2/25/2012 7:44:38 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D90© John Bakercameramake Canonheight 461orientation 1flash 73originaldate 4/2/2011 5:08:03 PMwidth 614cameramodel Canon PowerShot G11© Howard Innsflash 16cameramake PENTAX Corporationheight 461camerasoftware 1.00originaldate 5/27/2006 10:40:21 PMwidth 614cameramodel PENTAX Optio 550© Chris Dreshcameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 507orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 3/14/2012 11:53:25 PMwidth 609cameramodel NIKON D90© Chris Dreshflash 13cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 458orientation 1camerasoftware Adobe Photoshop CS3 originaldate 2/27/2012 7:19:12 AMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D90© Fred Holmescameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 4/13/2005 4:26:08 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 6/16/2005 10:39:37 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 10/17/2005 4:45:24 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 4/13/2005 4:23:50 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 4/13/2005 4:25:09 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 10/17/2005 4:49:45 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 10/3/2005 3:08:12 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 6/16/2005 10:40:49 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 392orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 10/17/2005 4:51:28 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 6/16/2005 4:34:24 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70© Fred Holmesflash 31cameramake NIKON CORPORATIONheight 409orientation 1camerasoftware PictureProject 1.0.0originaldate 7/9/2005 6:55:30 PMwidth 614cameramodel NIKON D70 Manage Cookie Preferences