Princess

Our garden is home to quite a few amphibians, even though we don't have a proper pond; we regularly see frogs and toads worming away into the undergrowth as we work around the property. I found this big one a few weeks ago as we cleared away some of the thistles that had taken over a wild corner of the garden. It made a few half-hearted hops and then froze, probably hoping that I hadn't noticed it. This is a Common Frog (Rana temporaria), easily identified by that big dark patch behind its eye and by the distinctive folds that run down either side of its back. It also lacks the bulging parotoid glands of the Common Toad and looks smoother, without the rough, warty skin of a toad. I'm guessing it's a female, as it was quite large; females can reach 5 inches (13 cm) in length, while males top out at 3.5 inches (9 cm).

Common Frogs are widespread across most of Britain and Ireland, but they need a nearby pond for breeding. I'm guessing our little garbage pail lid "pond" won't do the trick, so they're probably heading off the property. The neighboring farm has a big pond, with lots of vegetation around the edges, only a few hundred yards away and we saw masses of frog spawn there last spring. But we're happy to provide good feeding territory; frogs eat invertebrates, and the garden is full of those. They hunt primarily at night, and we've often stepped out the door after dark and found two or three clustered around the front porch (and the nearby water plant trays), looking for supper. They'll be settling in to hibernate soon, wriggling under a rock or into a compost heap for the winter. I look forward to seeing them again next spring!