Frog and spawn © Richard Burkmar
All you need to know about frog spawn
Frog spawn appears in ponds in early spring when the weather is just starting to get warmer and the days lighter. Take a look at some frequently asked questions to learn more!
1. What type of spawn do I have?
Frog spawn is laid in big clumps, usually in shallow water. Toad spawn comes in long chains and is usually laid in deeper water. Newts lay individual eggs on the leaves of pond plants.
Frog spawn, NWWT Lin Cummins
2. Is there too much frog spawn in my pond?
Since tadpoles have lots of natural predators and are susceptible to amphibian diseases, female frogs lay thousands of eggs each year. Only a fraction will survive to adulthood, so there really is no such thing as too much spawn!
3. Why hasn't the spawn in my pond developed properly?
There are lots of reasons why spawn may not develop. Frog spawn needs a lot of sunlight and warmth to develop properly, so spawn failure may occur when there’s too much shade, if a pond is too deep, or if there’s a late frost.
Common toad tadpoles © Vaughn Matthews
4. Can I move the spawn into a different pond?
Moving spawn or tadpoles to new ponds can spread invasive species and diseases. The new pond may also not be suitable for frogs so we don't recommend moving them. Ponds may contain a black mass of writhing tadpoles but this is how it's meant to be.
5. I've got lots of newts but no frogs. Why?
Newts eat frog spawn and tadpoles, so a pond with a large population of newts will tend to have fewer frogs. However, late-stage frog tadpoles can eat newt tadpoles, so a pond with plenty of frogs may not have many newts. They can co-exist if numbers are more balanced. It may be that your pond is just more suitable for newts than frogs but this isn't a bad thing, and newt habitat is just as valuable as frog habitat.
© Jon Dunkelman
6. I've found frog spawn in a puddle at risk of drying out – what should I do?
Frogs often lay spawn in puddles and other temporary water bodies, which offer the ideal conditions of warm, shallow water. It can be a risky strategy but the hope is that the spawn and tadpoles will develop quickly enough to emerge as froglets before the puddle dries up.
We don't advise moving spawn or tadpoles between ponds due to the risk of transferring amphibian diseases, so it’s best to let nature take its course. If you want to give them a helping hand, you could rear some in a tank or bucket of rainwater, then release the froglets back where you found them.
Common frog © Mark Hamblin/2020VISION
7. I’ve found a frog or spawn in a bucket or other unusual location – what should I do?
Frogs do sometimes spawn in strange places, especially if there isn’t a suitable pond nearby. Adults can become trapped in steep-sided containers, so it’s best to lift them out gently and place them in a patch of long grass or dense vegetation, where they are sheltered from the sun and safe from predators.
If you do have a pond, you can move the frog and/or spawn into the water. If you don’t have a pond, consider creating one – and in the meantime you can rear the spawn in a bowl, bucket or shallow tray of rainwater, placed in a sunny, sheltered position.
Find out more about how you can make your garden wildlife-friendly. Discover how to make the perfect pond, bring back the bees, care for the birds and lots more!
