Nature on our Doorsteps: Frogs on the move …

Rosaleen Dwyer is the County Heritage Officer at South Dublin County Council – every week she gives us an insight into the natural heritage around us and the beautiful biodiversity of the plants and creatures.

BY EARLY February, particularly in mild spring weather, frogs may sometimes be spotted moving about after the long winter.

At this time, frogs are driven by a strong instinct to return to the pond or wetland where they spent their early life as a tadpole.

The instinct driving them is a very strong one.

They need to find a mate with which to breed before the season ends.

Frogs are amphibians, meaning they can survive in water and on land.

Although they are associated mostly with ponds and wetlands, they in fact live much of their lives on land.

They must, however, come back to water in springtime to mate and lay eggs in the form of frog spawn.

The muscles on the frog’s back legs help it jump 20 times its own body length

Once tadpoles mature into little froglets around June or July, they leave the pond and begin to explore their surroundings.

Throughout the year, they can travel quite a distance from their springtime pond.

Feeding on slugs, flies and other insects, they continue to mature and grow.

They spend the winter in a deep state of torpor, or inactivity.

They hide away in places such as deep inside leaf litter under a hedge or under stacks of wood or stones, anywhere safe from frosty weather and predators.

As spring approaches, they awake and begin the risky journey back to their pond.

They travel mostly at night to avoid dangers like foxes, household pets, and birds like herons, magpies and crows.

Research suggests that frogs have excellent night vision, and they can even see colours in the dark.

This helps them to navigate through the many dark places they encounter as they make their way back to their breeding pond.

Because of their strong back legs, frogs can jump up to 20 times their body length.

This is a particularly valuable skill as they attempt to cross busy roads at night.

While many, unfortunately, do not survive the journey back to the pond, as long as even a few manage to return, the next generation might be secured.