JANUARY TO MARCH
Spawn arrives
Frogspawn can appear from January in mild areas, and by March it is in ponds across the country.
Frog or toad?What is happening in your pond, and how to give it a hand.
Every spring, common frogs return to garden ponds to lay their spawn. Here is when it happens, how to tell frog from toad, how long the tadpoles take, and the simple things that help, in plain English with the sources linked.
An independent guide, sources linked.
Updated
Check what you have foundTHE SEASON IN SHORT
Clumps, wrigglers, legs.
The common frog breeds in ponds in spring
and spends the rest of the year on land nearby.
AFTER ABOUT 3 WEEKS
Tadpoles hatch
Tadpoles emerge after around three weeks and graze on algae before moving on to insects.
How long until legs?
EARLY SUMMER
Froglets leave
Tiny frogs climb out onto land. A gently sloping edge and plenty of cover make that easier.
Help them outWHAT IS IN MY POND?
Spawn check,
stage by stage.
Pick what you can see in the water. The descriptions come from the Natural History Museum, the Woodland Trust and the RHS.
The bar shows roughly how far along the journey from egg to froglet that stage is. Timings vary a lot with the weather.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Lots of eggs,
few frogs.
Frogs lay huge numbers of eggs
because so few of them make it.
up to 2,000
Eggs in a single clump
A single clump of frogspawn can contain up to 2,000 eggs, and Kent Wildlife Trust notes one female may lay up to 4,000 eggs in a spring. A pond full of spawn is normal.
IN ONE CLUMP · WOODLAND TRUST
about 1 in 50
Eggs that leave as a froglet
Only around one egg in fifty survives to leave the pond as a froglet, and only a small share of those reach adulthood. Predators, cold snaps and drying ponds take the rest.
OUT OF THE POND · WOODLAND TRUST
So there is no need to rescue spawn or thin it out. Sussex Wildlife Trust says too much spawn is not a concern, and a writhing mass of tadpoles is normal.
HELP YOUR POND
Four small things
that help frogs.
Give it a gentle slope
Make at least one side slope gradually up to dry land so froglets can climb out. On a steep-sided pond, add a ramp in one corner.
Add a resting spot
Place a rock or log half in and half out of the water, and let plants grow around the edge for cover.
Keep fish out
Fish eat spawn and tadpoles. A pond meant for frogs works best without them.
Let frogs find it
Do not bring in spawn or tadpoles from other ponds. Let new ponds be colonised naturally, and leave a log pile nearby for winter.
FROG FACTS
Five things worth
knowing.
Not always green
The common frog varies from green to brown, and even red or yellow. Look for smooth skin, a dark mask behind the eye and long, banded back legs. Adults are 8 to 13 cm long.
Legs at about 16 weeks
Tadpoles hatch after around three weeks. Their back legs start to form roughly 16 weeks after hatching, followed by the front legs.
Winter in the mud
Common frogs hibernate in pond mud or under log piles, and can live for 5 to 10 years. That is why the RHS suggests cleaning a pond out only when it is really necessary.
Most old ponds have gone
Roughly two thirds of the ponds in England and Wales in the late 19th century have since been lost, mostly drained or filled in for farming, according to UCL researchers.
Moving spawn can move disease
A UCL-led study using two decades of citizen science records found ranavirus spread more where people live more densely, and urged gardeners to limit moving pond material between gardens.
QUICK QUESTIONS
Frogspawn, answered.
Short answers to the questions people ask most each spring.
When do frogs spawn in the UK?
Frogspawn can appear from January in mild areas, with the South West usually first. By March it can be found in ponds across the country. Kent Wildlife Trust notes spawning can run from December to April depending on the weather.
How can I tell frogspawn from toadspawn?
Frogspawn is laid in large jelly-like clumps. Toadspawn is laid in long strings or thin ribbons, usually wound around underwater plants.
How long does it take a tadpole to become a frog?
According to the Natural History Museum, tadpoles hatch after around three weeks, and their back legs begin to form about 16 weeks after hatching, followed by the front legs. Cold weather can slow development.
Should I move frogspawn to another pond?
No. The RHS and Sussex Wildlife Trust both advise against moving spawn or tadpoles between ponds, because it can spread amphibian diseases such as ranavirus, and non-native plants. Let new ponds be colonised naturally.
Should I put fish in a wildlife pond?
The RHS advises against adding fish to a pond meant for wildlife, because fish eat spawn, tadpoles and other pond life.
Sources
Where the facts come from
- Frogspawn, tadpoles and frogletsNatural History Museum
- When do frogs spawn and how to spot themWoodland Trust
- Common frog: wildlife explorerKent Wildlife Trust
- Amphibians in your gardenRoyal Horticultural Society
- How to bring ghost ponds back from the deadUniversity College London, 2023
- Garden ponds may help spread lethal frog diseaseUniversity College London, 2016
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