Frogs and toads are farm animals in the open countryside and in the home garden. For some they are unwelcome garden dwellers, for others they bring a little more of nature into the home. If you own a garden pond or other standing body of water, you have a good chance of being able to welcome them one day. Water plays a major role in the reproduction and spawning of frogs and toads. Everything you need to know about it is here.
frogs and toads
The green hoppers are often referred to as frogs or toads, although they are two different species. Both belong to the order Anura, but the toad species come from different families. To know which of the two species is present and when the spawning season is, they can be distinguished by the following differences:
- Toads are more land animals and only move to water to spawn - frogs are water-loving
- Toads do not have webbed toes like frogs do
- The physique of toads is clumsier than that of frogs
- Toads move mostly by crawling/walking - frogs mostly jump
- Toads have front and back legs of almost the same length - the back legs of frogs are significantly longer and slimmer
- Toad skin wrinkled, leathery, often with wart or bump-like appearances - frog skin is mostly smooth and often shiny
propagation time
When frogs and toads breed depends on the species. In principle, early spring heralds the spawning season for the species that most often use the garden to spawn. These include:
- Agile frogs at the end of February
- Common frogs in early March
- Toad species between mid-March and early April
- Pond frog between late April and May
notice: A loud "quack orchestra" is a clear sign of the upcoming mating season from early spring.
mating search
Frogs and toads are solitary creatures, but the frog accepts nearby conspecifics and therefore does not stray in another direction. When mating season arrives, it's time to find a female. Above all, more and more toad species can be heard trying to attract the attention of females with their lure calls, while some frogs may already have one in their sights at their location, but announce their readiness with their lure calls. These calls consist of loud croaking sounds that can be heard up to two kilometers away. For maximum volume, they use the so-called sound bubbles, which are inflated on the side of the face. Some species of frogs are noticeably quieter and croak under water.
pairing
Once a pair of frogs have found each other to mate, this is done near the banks of water or directly in the water. In most species, the males cling under the females' armpits. The toads attach themselves to the females' loins for several days, but never for more than an hour at a time. In the case of frogs and toads that spawn early, such as jumping frogs, common frogs and common toads, the males already make their way to the spawning water “piggyback” on the back of the females.
eggs and fertilization
It takes about a week for the female toads and frogs to spawn. To do this, they look for a suitable spawning ground, where they usually lay their eggs in several consecutive phases. After each oviposition, some females will move to another nearby site for the next oviposition. Other species, such as green and brown frogs, lay their eggs all together in one go. Eggs are only fertilized after spawning by the male's sperm, which he distributes over the eggs with his hind legs.
exception
Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans)
The reproduction/mating of the common midwife toad, which is rarely found in German gardens, takes place exclusively on land. Once the female has ejected the eggs, the male wraps them around his hind legs and leaves them there for several weeks until they are about to hatch. Only then are they released into the water as tadpoles.
spawning places
In principle, all frog and toad species lay their eggs on or in standing water. The toad stays on land and looks for a suitable place at the edge of the water, or from there pulls so-called spawning cords around plants or branches in the water. The natterjack toad is special because it lays its eggs on the bottom of the water.
The frog spawns directly in the water. Either the frog eggs stick to aquatic plants or they float on the water surface as a compound ball. The latter can form large spawning carpets that can reach up to several square meters in size.
tip: If you want to discover the small eggs, take a closer look, because then you will see jelly-like coatings in which the eggs are located and hold them together in such a way that balls and strings can form.
After oviposition/fertilization
When the female has finished laying her eggs, she usually leaves the scene after the male has freed herself from her grasp. The green frog female is an exception and the males also remain at the spawning site. In some cases, the "fathers" still take care of the offspring, while others are already on the lookout for the next females.
mating frequency
It is not uncommon for males to mate four to five times. Most female toads only spawn every two years. Female frogs usually mate once a year. The natterjack toad is an exception with several times a year. In addition to the frequency, the amount of eggs is also interesting, because this varies greatly:
- Pond Frogs: between 300 and 400 eggs per year
- Common Toad: between 3,000 and 6,000 per year
- Golden toad: about 230 eggs per year
- Green toad: between 9,000 and 15,000 eggs per year
- Cane toad: between 8,000 and 25,000 eggs per year
egg development
The larvae are already developing in the eggs. It only takes a few days for the first signs of a tadpole to appear. It takes a few more days for the jelly-like shell to dissolve and for the tiny tadpole to be able to move freely in the water. Exactly when this process is complete depends on temperature and frog/toad species. As a rule, this covers a period of between five days and four weeks from the time the eggs are laid. With the common frog, the time has usually come after ten to 14 days.
The frog offspring can be recognized by the following features and can be distinguished from toad tadpoles by these:
- On average, frog tadpoles are five centimeters tall - toad tadpoles only half that size
- Frog tadpoles have external gills
- Black underside seen in young toads
- Frog offspring have eyes located on the edge of the body
- Toad tadpoles mainly in swarms on water surfaces
chances of survival
The tadpoles' chances of survival are slim. It is estimated that at least three quarters of the offspring do not survive because they fall prey to their natural predators. One of the most feared predators is the yellow-striped beetle from the family of swimming beetles (Dytiscidae), which can eat up to 900 tadpoles a day. Other predators are:
- newts
- water bugs
- dragonflies
- Waterfowl such as ducks and herons
tip: If tadpoles are to be prevented from eating in the garden pond, it is advisable to stretch a close-meshed net over it, which is a few centimeters from the water surface. This is the only way long-beaked birds and insects cannot get their offspring.
From tadpole to frog
In order for the tadpoles to thrive, they feed on the jelly mass at the beginning and later on algae and plant parts. After 1.5 to two months, the first extremities appear. The hind legs are visible first, while the front legs initially remain in "pockets" and only come out later. Further development is as follows:
- Two to three weeks after shedding her rapsel mouth (for previous food intake)
- Adjusting food intake
- Supply occurs exclusively through fat reserves
- Fat reserves come from the tail, which is now receding
- Front legs appear
- Now has the stature/body shape of a juvenile frog
- After two to three days they go ashore
- Height: about one centimeter
- Onset of sexual maturity: One to three years, depending on the weather and the type of frog
Young frog and toad
The young frogs usually remain around the body of water/garden pond during the summer. Only when they have grown a bit do they move into shallow water. The exception are common frogs, which, like the toad species, immediately set off for a suitable habitat after they have left the water as frogs and land animals. They don't come back until they reach sexual maturity and the cycle of reproduction starts all over again.