Species Of The Week Number 26: Frogs!

Do check out some of the ponds along Meanwood Beck this week as the warmer weather means it is currently frog heaven.

Before the frogspawn comes the frog's porn:

In the breeding season (now) male common frogs go crazy for a few days where they display rapid and frenzied breeding behaviour, and their sole purpose is to mate with as many female frogs as possible. Is size important in this interaction? Well, researchers tell us that there are higher rates of mating success in the males which have longer thumbs - which allows them to have a better grip on females. Male frogs also have special swellings on their legs which help them grip - these swellings are called 'nuptial pads'.

I have approached female frogs for comment.

Anyhow the male 'embraces' a female and fertilises her eggs as she lays them and soon the spawn develop into tadpoles and about 16 weeks after laying they become froglets.

Common frogs have smooth skin - not warty like a toad - and there is lots of colour variation.

Whilst frogs have adapted quite well to urban and semi-urban environments like Meanwood, the physical barriers of roads and buildings seem to have prevented frog populations from mixing, creating more inbreeding and lower genetic diversity than in rural populations. This has led to higher developmental abnormalities. But it doesn't really matter as there are loads of frogs or, in technical terms: the common frog is listed as a species of least concern on the Red List of Threatened Species.

Fun Frog Fact 1: In the most northern extremities of their range frog species may be trapped under ice for up to nine months of the year, and survive!

Fun Frog Fact 2: Australian water-holding frog is a desert dweller that can wait up to seven years waiting for it to rain.

Fun Frog Fact 3: Frogs invented opera. In as much as they were the first land animal with vocal chords. OK, maybe they didn't actually invent opera.

Posted on 22 de março de 2023, 10:13 AM by clunym