Common frog (Spawn)
Rana temporaria
Conservation status: Declining – Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981
When to see: February to April
About
During spring, female frogs lay their eggs in large clumps known as frogspawn in shallow water like garden ponds or wetlands. The jelly-like substance surrounding the eggs protects them from predators and fluctuations in water temperature. Each egg within the spawn contains a single black dot which will hatch as a tadpole and begin its transformation into an adult frog. Tadpoles can take several months to metamorphosis into frogs, depending on environmental conditions such as water temperature and availability of food sources.
| See also different: | Garden amphibians |